Sailor Moon Classic: Part 2 The Redemption of Nephrite
by StarCatTibalt
Summary: The second part of my retelling of the first season. Serena, Amy, and Raye face a new enemy of the Dark Kingdom who is using a far different tactic to steal human energy, a method that is deadly to its victims. As the Sailor Scouts continue to fight, they begin to have dreams that feel more like memories, especially for Serena when she begins to remember a love from long ago.
1. Chapter 15 The New Enemy

**- Hey they, everyone! Here we are with Part 2 of my retelling of Sailor Moon Classic. I do apologize that this took me a while after completing Part 1. The spring semester in college is coming to a close and I've been burden two different essays for two different classes, one of which requires extensive research. Therefore, I wasn't able to work on my story as much as I wanted to but was able to squeeze in enough time to complete this new chapter. So her you go, fans! I hope you enjoy Part 2 as much as you enjoyed Part 1. Please leave a review and feel free to ask any questions you have. Enjoy and stay tuned! :)**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I've changed Queen Celine's name to Sophia in order to prevent confusion with the first Lunarian queen Selene since there might be a possibility that my story could be turned into a TV series one day. So don't be confused when encounter the name change.**

* * *

_The story so far..._

_Fourteen year-old Serena Thompson's simple life in the capital city of Washington DC suddenly takes a complete turn around when she meets a talking magical cat named Luna. With Luna's mysterious powers, Serena finds herself facing the monsters and armored knights of the evil Dark Kingdom ruled by the ruthless Queen Beryl. During her quest, Serena meets two other girls who share the same destiny as her. Amy Miles, a sweet and very intelligent girl, and Raye Heinberg, a physic and a strong believer in her Christian faith._

_Luna then reveals to them that they have become the rebirth of the Sailor Scouts Universe, an ancient order of female magical soldiers that help protected the galaxy from evil in a long forgotten age known as the Silver Millennium, only to be betrayed by the very people they protected. She also reveals that the Dark Kingdom is after human energy in order to release an even greater evil and that the Sailor Scouts are the only ones who could stop it._

_Raye's grandfather, the Archbishop of the famous Washington National Cathedral, learns of their secret and agrees to help them by training them how to fight. A Japanese sword master himself, he trains Serena while two others, Tai Chi master and a Karate master, train Amy and Raye. They find the the monsters and knights being sent to steal energy from innocent people are being controlled by one of the Dark Kingdoms generals, Jadeite._

_With the help of the mysterious but dashing Tuxedo Mask, the newly reborn Sailor Scouts hunt down Jadeite and defeat him in a decisive battle. However, while they won a great victory and have taken a major step in restoring the legacy of the Sailor Scouts Universe, greater challenges await them as a new enemy takes Jadeite's place. As of now, the Sailor Scouts will find themselves pushed to their abilities as they prepare to face their upcoming enemy..._

* * *

**Chapter ****15**

The New Enemy

The Dark Kingdom had lost one of its generals, but it had already been forgotten. No funeral service of any kind of mourning had been held for the deceased Jadeite. Queen Beryl's anger and his humiliating defeat had been set as an example for those who failed.

Now, Queen Beryl sat at her throne with her hands roaming around her floating crystal ball. Before her stood Nephrite, another one of the Dark Kingdom's general.

He was a rank higher than Jadeite had been due to the jeweled insignias on his shoulders. Tall, broad shouldered, and devilishly handsome with piercing blue eyes and wavy auburn hair that reached bellow his shoulders, he stood before his queen with every bit of elegance and confidence.

"Jadeite's method was to steal energy from anyone and from large groups of people," he explained, his voice deep and seductive, "While that may be the most simplest way of obtaining energy, it is simply too typical of a method."

"Is that so?" said Queen Beryl, half-interested, "Then, Nephrite, explain to me what method you would use."

Nephrite bowed, "I'd be honored to, my Queen. Instead of going after large groups of people as Jadeite did, my method will concentrate on one individual at a time."

"By forcing them to reach their energy peak?" Queen Beryl smiled, knowing what her general was planning.

"Exactly, my Queen," Nephrite nodded, "In our time, every being in the galaxy, whether human, elf, dwarf, or any other race, had goals and ambitions to accomplish great things. Many of these beings learned the arts of war and the arts of magic so they could use them when they traveled around the galaxy. When they put there practice to use, their energy levels would increase, allowing them to become stronger with every encounter they had. However, there were moments where their energy levels go beyond their capabilities when they were some sort of situation. This is what's called an energy burst."

"It is true that this world has no knowledge of magic purely because the people of this world do not believe in such a thing. While this may limit the amount of energy we obtain, the combination of multiple gatherings from the energy peaks should be more than enough to awaken our great ruler."

"It is indeed a well thought out plan," Queen Beryl approved.

"Thank you, my Queen," Nephrite began to bow again when a high pitched chuckle reached his ears.

Frowning, he turned to see another one of Dark Kingdom's generals coming to his side, a wide smirk on his face. Unlike Nephrite, he was shorter, leaner, and bore the same rank as Jadeite had. His features were more feminine than masculine, his long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and his wide green eyes only giving more of that impression.

"You seem pretty confident," he said in voice that almost sounded like a woman's.

Nephrite felt his features twitch in irritation, "Zoisite, why are you here?"

Zoisite ignored his question and said, "Overconfidence can be your undoing."

"Be gone with you," Nephrite turned from him, making Zoisite red with anger, "I have only one request, Queen Beryl."

"And that is?" said Queen Beryl, ignoring Zoisite, making him even angrier.

"I wish to use one of our transformation artifacts."

"What's this?" Zoisite couldn't help jesting, "You can't do all the work by yourself?"

"I do not need advice from you," Nephrite snapped and turned his attention back to Queen Beryl, "I wish to conduct operations in Washington DC up close and personal. With the artifact, I can use it as a base of operations while blending in with the people."

"I can only picture you grovelling before Queen Beryl's feet," Zoisite smirked again.

"That is enough, Zoisite!" Queen Beryl, her tone making him flinch, "I will call for you when I wish. Until then, I want you out of my sight before I decide to feed you to the dogs."

"I understand, my Queen," Zoisite said quickly and bowed before he disappeared in a spiral of lavender arrowheads.

"I do not understand why you keep him in your service, my Queen" said Nephrite after Zoisite was gone.

"Zoisite is as spoiled as he is clumsy," Queen Beryl waved a hand impatiently, "yet he is not completely useless. He is only jealous because I sent Jadeite out first and not him and now he has you to compete with."

"He will need to be disciplined," Nephrite stated.

"I will see to it that Kunzite deals with that," Queen Beryl paused, "I will grant your request and leave the matter of collecting energy in your hands. However, be aware that the Sailor Scouts have returned and are stronger than we had anticipated."

A thought struck Nephrite, "Would it be more logical then, to move our operations to somewhere else where we won't be interrupted?"

"The thought has occurred to me, Nephrite," Queen Beryl nodded, "However, even if we move our operations elsewhere, what are the possibilities that we won't encounter other Sailors Scouts than the ones we've already encountered? The Original Nine were not the only ones who died when I destroyed Apollonia. If we had a ship, we could go to another world and gather energy without interference. But since we are trapped here in Lunaria, we will have to obtain energy here and eliminate all opposition."

Nephrite stood there thoughtfully for a moment before he bowed.

"I understand, my Queen."

"Carry out your plan, and if you see an opportunity to eliminate the Sailor Scouts, be sure to show them no mercy. We do not need anymore interference."

* * *

**The peaceful black ocean of** the Atlantic was disturbed shortly afterward be the sound of a jet engine yet there was no plane anywhere in sight.

Knowing Queen Beryl's limit on her patience, and with Jadeite, Nephrite decided not to waste anytime. After the approval of his plan, he left the Dark Kingdom in the artifact he had mentioned.

It was an ancient artifact that possessed technology beyond any the world had seen, a machine that was a shape shifter. Whoever used this artifact was able to turn into any object they required and it was capable of turning itself invisible.

Before he left the Dark Kingdom, Nephrite had turn into a small airplane and turning invisible before taking off. He was well aware of America's air defense system and so flew low to avoid radar contact. The minutes past before he came upon America's eastern coast.

He had the artifact turn in the direction of Washington DC and increase altitude. When he reached the capitol of America, his eyes widened. The city bore an amazing resemblance to the ancient Lunarian capitol city Apollonia. He had visited Apollonia only a few times in the ancient past, but even then he could not help but admire the beauty it possessed.

He had been greatly saddened when he took part in the destruction of the city of white and gold that had stood for nearly a thousand years as symbol of peace, freedom, and justice throughout the galaxy. Yet, he had sworn his loyalty to Queen Beryl and had carried out her orders.

He took a moment to look over Washington DC, admiring its white government and monument buildings, before continuing. When he was just a mile outside the residential area, he had the artifact land in the middle of the forest.

Stepping outside, he walked a short distance to where he could see the city. Satisfied that he a safe enough distance away he walked back to the artifact and had it transform into a large mansion, making it look old and abandoned in case someone happened to run across it.

Once the transformation was complete, he stepped inside and walked into the empty living room. Lifting his head, he summoned his only possession, a black crystal. For a moment he stood there, looking, his mind stirring memories he couldn't seem to remember.

Shaking away the pointless thoughts, he summoned the crystal's powers. The black crystal floated into the air in front and above him. Then a light expanded from it and a form of a solar system appeared. Stars sparkled around the crystal while little objects resembling planets orbited around it.

Nephrite watched the serene beauty that the crystal emitted before he closed his eyes and concentrated.

_Crystal of my lost family,_ he said in his thoughts, _Grant me your powers. Reveal to me the one who is will grant me my wish._

Several moments passed before an image or a young girl appeared in his mind.

_Rosa Sheridan. Your energy will be mine._

* * *

**In Washington DC,** Luna stared out into the distance of the night from atop the roof of Serena's home, her gaze black with tension. Minutes ago, she had been sound asleep in Serena's room when the strong presence of evil energy jerked her awake. Sensing it from a distance outside, she had considered waking the snoring Serena but thought better of it and opened the window, climbing up onto the roof.

She couldn't see the evil presence but could sense it moving in the distance. At first she thought it might be moving directly toward her before she realized it course was almost exactly the opposite. A short time later she felt fade away. Convinced that there wasn't any imminent danger, she started to climb back down before she felt the power of crystal magic being used.

She stopped where she was and stared into the distance again, a frown on her face. This was power she hadn't felt in a long time, and she wasn't sure if she liked the look of it. But one thing was for certain now.

"_Our next enemy has arrived._"

* * *

**Three days had passed since** the Sailor Scouts defeated Jadeite. Serena and her friends had not seen any action since then. Taking advantage of the little peace they had won, they spend their time hanging out together and training to improve their fighting skills and increase their energy levels at the cathedral.

It was Tuesday, a bright sunny day, when Molly asked Serena to come with to see one of her friends practicing at tennis. She soon discovered that Molly's friend, Rosa Sheridan, was actually quite popular when they arrived at the outdoor tennis court.

A pretty girl with long brown hair in a ponytail with misty gray eyes, she stood confident as she waited for her opponent to serve the ball. When it was, she immediately hit it in the other direction, the other girl having no chance to return it.

Around the chain link fence Rosa's fans, mostly teenage boys, cheered her on.

"Go, big sis!" Molly beamed.

Serena looked at her.

"_Big sis_?" she frowned, "You never said you had a sister. I thought you were an only child."

"Huh?" Molly blinked at her, "I am a only child. And we have different last names."

"But you just called her your big sister."

"Oh, that," Molly smiled, "Well, Rosa's mother been a long time friend of my mother and a good customer. We've known each other since childhood. She's only a year older than me, but since my mother wasn't able to have anymore children after I was born and after my dad died years ago, Rosa's been like a older sister to me."

"Oh," Serena nodded, "I see now."

They continued watching and cheering. No one noticed the brand new red Ferrari as it pulled up next to the courtyard.

"Wow! He's gorgeous!"

Turning to the sudden commotion, they saw a casually dressed business looking man watching the practice match, breathtakingly handsome with his long auburn hair.

"Oh, my," Molly blushed.

"I agree," Serena equally blushed.

The man stood there staring intently for a moment before he strode over and entered the tennis court.

"Please don't enter the court without permission!" Rosa's opponent protested.

The man ignored her and turn his attention to Rosa.

"Use your weight more when you hit the ball," he instructed.

"What?" Rosa said between blinking and blushing.

The crowd watched in silence as the mysterious stranger approached the other girl.

"Your racket, if you please," he said with a touch of impatience.

"Uh," the flustered girl complied, "Sure."

She moved away as the man looked down at Rosa.

"Now, serve me!" he instructed again.

Rosa stared at him, then her confidence returned and she served. The man hit the ball back with an unnatural force. Rosa was unprepared for it and the ball grazed her wrist. Everyone gasped as she dropped her racket, favoring her wrist.

"Don't worry, your hand will recover shortly," the man said and stepped toward her, "But a fly could land a serve like that."

"Who are you?" Rosa asked the question that had been on everyone minds.

"Mason Sanderson," he replied, "I'm a local businessman who knows the basics of just about everything. I make a hobby of mine to help young people accomplish their goals by giving them advice on how to do better during my spare time."

Rosa gaped at him as he came to her side and picked up her racket.

"I'm sorry," she blushed.

"Don't be," Mason handed her the racket, "Just think about putting your weight behind the ball."

"O-Okay," Rosa took her racket and a surge of something like power flow into her.

"Someone come up and serve her!" Mason called to the crowd.

"Here! I'll do it!" waved an eager boy as he ran up and took his place.

"Hey! How did he get in there!" yelled another boy as the others grumbled.

"Ready when you are, Rosa!" the boy blushed as he waited.

Rosa threw up the ball and swung. The racket connected with such force that it went right right passed the boy before he even had a chance to move. Surprisingly, the ball managed to stay inbound.

Rosa stared, unable to believe she had done that so easily and turned

"Thank you so..." she started to say, but the mysterious man was gone as though he had vanished into thin air.

The businessman named Mason Sanderson was actually Nephrite. Seeing no need to disguise himself aside from his casual clothes, he had strode into the city and settled like any other citizen. He first set up a bank account at a local bank to avoid suspicion, using magically conjured money, and later bought the Ferrari and a wardrobe of casual clothing so he could look every bit like the businessman. Soon afterword he tracked down his prey and deliberately entered the court so he could get closer as his target.

When he picked up the girl's racket after knocking it out of her hand, he placed his knight's spirit inside of it, instructing it to increase the girl's energy level so that the knight could take it when it reached it's peak and present it to his master.

The instant Rosa took her racket back, the knight's spirit took possession of her. Nephrite then left the courtyard and teleported himself to the roof of a nearby building where he could work in process.

_The more you use that racket,_ he thought to himself, _the more your energy will increase._

Having accomplished what he had came for, he left the rest of the task to his knight and teleported himself back to his car and drove away back to his abandoned mansion.

Rosa was quickly defeating one opponent after another with her new learned skill. Soon all the boys were afraid to face her.

"It feels good," Rosa chuckled to herself.

Even as her fans cheered her on, Molly watched her with a sickening feeling growing inside her.

"Something's not right," she whispered.

* * *

**Over at the cathedral, **Dave, Cheng Xun, and Walt listened quietly as Luna explained what she had sensed last night.

"And you're sure it was the enemy?" asked Cheng, face serious.

"The energy signature was unmistakable," said Luna, "And I've got a feeling this new enemy, if it is one of the Dark Kingdom's generals, will be very different from Jadeite. By that, he may be using different tactics to steal energy."

"Is there anything you want us to do?" asked Walt.

"Just keep an eye for anything that looks suspicious, but don't act on it," Luna instructed, "None of you possess magic powers as you did back then. I don't want you getting killed trying to play hero. If you see something suspicious, contact me or one of the girls immediately. We'll can take it from there."

"Understood," Dave nodded, "In the meantime, we'll keep training them."

"Yes, do," Luna took a breath, "When is our new friend supposed to arrive?"

A knock rapped on the door of Dave study.

"Right at this moment," Dave smiled and stood, "Come in!"

The door opened and an jovial woman of average with dark hair and sparkling green eyes came in. The woman was in her forties, but was still attractive despite her over set body. She took a moment too look at them before she smiled brightly and strode in. In one arm she carried a bundle of green and white clothing while in the other she carried a bag full of small boxes.

"Dave," she stopped before the Bishop's desk and placed the clothes on it and the bag on the floor.

"Jennifer," Dave came over and hugged her, planting a kiss on her brow, "You're looking lovely as ever."

"Still a flatterer," the woman named Jennifer chuckled.

"I'm sure you know of my two friends here," Dave gestured to Cheng and Walt.

"Hmm," Jennifer looked at them both for a moment, "They look familiar, but I'm not sure if we met."

"Liar," Cheng rose and slapped her playfully on the arm, "You made me a celebration cake when I was about to go out on my first mission on my own."

"And I carried you out from a herd of children threatening to stampede you," grinned Walt.

Jennifer laughed, blushing a little, "It wasn't anything like that!"

"I remember you lecturing me almost all the time that I was a bad influence on my students," Dave put in.

"That's because you were," Jennifer raised an eyebrow as if challenging the Bishop to deny it.

Dave sighed deeply, "I see that you haven't changed one bit."

"And you were always trying to spoil Princess Serenity with all of your sweets when she was a child."

Jennifer frowned and her eyes scanned around the room, looking for the forth speaker she couldn't see, before her gaze settled on the black cat that was now sitting upright on the desk smiling deeply. Her eyes narrowed in confusion before they widened in recognition, her mouth gaping into shock and the items dropping from her hands. She stood there rigid, as if she was seeing a ghost from the past.

"_Luna_?" she said in a small, incredulous voice.

"Yes," Luna returned softly, "It's good to see you again, Jacosta Galatas."

The woman stood there for a long moment, then launched herself forward and hugged Luna tightly.

"You're... you're alive!" Jennifer released her and hugged her again through her tears, "I can't believe—"

"Yes, I am alive," Luna gasped between chuckling, "But I won't be if you don't let me go."

"I'm sorry!" Jennifer abruptly released her, but kept her hands on the cat's shoulders, "I'm so sorry. But I... I thought you were dead, like everyone else was on that day."

"I should have been, but Queen Sophia saw to it to keep me and Artemis alive before she sent us away, both of us in a deep sleep until we woke again thousand of years later."

"Queen Sophia?" Jennifer's eyes widened again, "Did she...?

Luna slowly shook her head.

"I see," her face fell, "What about Artemis? Is he with you?"

"He's alive and well, but we separated a while ago in order to broaden our search for the Original Nine. I haven't seen or heard of him since then."

"I see," Jennifer said again, "Hearing that makes me a little worried, but knowing him, I'm sure he's alright."

"I'm certain he is too," Luna nodded hopefully.

"It's always nice to see a happy reunion between old friends," Dave smiled.

"Yes," Jennifer turned and wiped away any tears she had left, "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be," Dave patted her shoulder, "All of us believed Luna was dead until we actually met her. It's a miracle to see that she is still alive. So, moving on from that, did you bring everything?"

"Oh, yes," Jennifer grinned devilishly, picking the things she dropped and laying them out on the desk.

Luna couldn't help chuckling, "The girls are going to have a fit when they see these and what we have planned for them."

"Indeed," Dave grimaced, "Especially Raye."

"Oh?" Luna lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I'm sure you've noticed by now that Raye has a bit of a temper," Dave clarified.

Luna flinched, "I did notice, actually."

"Well," Dave sighed, "You have best prepare yourself, and the rest of you, when she and the others get here."

"When are they supposed to arrive?" Jennifer asked.

Dave glanced at the grandfather clock sitting at the wall, "In about ten minutes. They get out of school at two-thirty and we give them an hour of free time before they have to come here for their daily training routine. They will then spend the next two to three hours training and then doing their homework. Luna will sometimes test them about morality and principle or give them scenarios which they have to figure out by themselves."

"Is always you three and Luna?"

"Not all the time. Sometimes there will be either two of us or just myself since Cheng and Walt have their lives to attend to. It's not at all difficult, since I'm here all the time."

"And the fact that you're the Master Trainer," Jennifer added with a sarcastic sigh.

"That too," Dave grinned.

"I can see that you are going to be just as difficult as you were back then."

"Aw," Dave wagged a finger, still grinning, "but the difference is is that you are no longer the Headmistress of a SSU Branch, but now a Scout Master of something that is almost related to it."

Jennifer crossed her arms and gave the Bishop a glare, but it was more humorous than serious.

"As long as you don't flirt with any of my girls, I won't have a problem with you," she told him.

"_Me_?" Dave placed his hands on his and feigned innocence, "My dear, what makes you think I would do such a thing? I am a Man of God after all."

Jennifer snorted and rolled her eyes, "I'm still trying to accept the fact that you became a priest out of all things. I honestly didn't believe it when I recognize you when I saw you in the newspaper a long time ago."

"You couldn't have been more shocked than I was when I found out about it," Luna chuckled.

"I think all of us had difficultly accepting the fact that he became a Man of God," Walt grinned.

"Hm-hmmm," Cheng nodded.

"Alright, alright!" Dave threw up his hands, "I could go on explaining why I became a priest, but none of you would believe me."

All of them laughed.

"It's amazing that we known each other in two completely different times, but our lives haven't changed that much," Jennifer stated.

"Yes," Cheng nodded fondly, "The time we lived was a golden one. I miss it dearly and wish things could have been different before that tragic day, but I have no regrets living the life I have here today."

"The technology in this world is indeed primitive," Walt added, "I remember going to so many different worlds back then. Every night before I go to bed I look up at the stars and wonder what happened to those worlds after the Alliance fell. How I wish to return the stars again, but that's unlikely to happen anytime soon."

"Earth will soon accomplish space travel as it did all those back," Dave assured, "Just as long as government doesn't keep cutting NASA's funds for their stupid welfare programs."

"You can say that again," Jennifer snorted, "It's bad enough when I have to deal with the parents of girls who are so Politically Correct that it's pathetic."

Luna slowly shook her head, "From what I've seen of this world in nearly the past forty years, it's almost coming to be a repeat of the fall of Apollonia and the alliance."

"Let's hope that never happens," Jennifer sighed as if relieving herself of a great weight, "So tell me, what are Serena, Amy, and Raye like?"

This time it was Luna who sighed very deeply.

"If you're wondering if they're anything like they were before," she said, "You'll be in for a major disappoint."

Jennifer looked at her surprised, then chuckled, "I would have been more surprised if they were."

"The way I've been dealing with them," Luna returned, "I almost wish they were."

"Who did you meet first?"

"Serena. We came across Amy and Raye some time later. Serena is just what you expect a typical teenager to be. I admit she's grown a little and she gets serious when she has to be, but I still have to deal with her immaturity from time to time. She has yet to be a leader. For Amy, she's very sweet, well educated and intelligent thanks to her mother. She'll appear reluctant to certain things when making difficult decisions, but she's aware of what she must do and will do it. She's been a great help to us when analyzing situations. As for Raye, she's very serious; both in her faith and as a Sailor Scout. She'll appear very cold and at times impatient, but she does have a kind heart. She and Serena often get into arguments, but they always put that aside when they are facing the enemy. Overall, the girls are capable, but they need further discipline. Joining your outfit will be a great improvement for them."

Jennifer nodded thoughtfully, "After listening to what you've told me, I highly agree. How much do they know? And how much have you told them?"

"Only enough to make them aware of what they are part of. The rest they'll have to figure out on their own."

"So you didn't tell them everything?"

"No."

A moment passed as Jennifer took that in. Then she nodded again, this time approvingly.

"Somehow I knew you wouldn't," she said, "And you did the right thing by not telling them."

Behind her back, Dave frowned at her.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" he asked, "Do you really believe that not telling them right away will actually help them?"

"For the time being, yes," Jennifer turned to him, "Luna has good reason not to tell them of their true past. How would you feel if you suddenly found out that you lived a past life, and that you were the last hereditary princess of civilization long destroyed and its legacy is only remembered by those who died with it when it fell? You would feel confused, lost, and like an outcast, alone in a world that wouldn't understand you and would think you crazy should they find out the truth about you."

"Think about it, my friends from a time long ago. When we remembered, how difficult was it and how long was it before we finally understood and accepted who and what we really were? The girls are not ready to accept the truth about themselves just yet. Until the day they remember, let them be who they are right now. Telling them the truth will only cause problems for them. Even more important, it will distract them from the task they've been given. When they are ready, we'll tell them everything."

She waited for one of the three trainers to protest. None did. She turned to Luna, who smiled deeply and fondly.

"You have spoken like a true Headmistress of a Sailor Scouts Universe branch," she said softly.

Jennifer smiled proudly, "It helps to see I haven't lost my touch when it come to what defines us as humans."

At that moment, they heard the cathedral door open and close through the bishop's opened door, followed by the sound of giggles and laughter.

"Grandpa?" Raye's cheerful voice came.

Grinning at Jennifer's raised eyebrow, Dave approached the door.

"In here, girls!" he called back.

When the girls walked in, Jennifer felt her chest tighten and tears well up in her eyes. The girls almost looked exactly how she remembered them. Even Serena unique hairstyle reminded her of her special friend from long ago. Quickly hiding her emotions, she put a bright smile on her face as the girl's looked at her curiously, obviously surprised by the newcomer.

"Welcome back, ladies," Dave gestured, "This an old friend of mine, Jennifer Garret. She'll be joining our little organization. Jennifer, this is Serena, Amy, and Raye we have been telling you about."

"Pleased to meet you, ladies," Jennifer nodded to them.

"Another one?" Serena blinked, "I'm sorry, that's was rude. It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Garret."

"Same here," said Amy, obviously confused, "Are you going to be another trainer?"

"In a matter of speaking," Jennifer said before they could forget about her, "Yes. But not in the terms of weapons."

"What do you mean?" Raye frowned.

"I spoke with Miss Luna," she gestured to the cat, picking up the game they were playing, "Interesting encounter, I never thought I would one day be speaking with a talking cat. Anyway, she tells me that she has been teaching you about principle and morality. Your trainers, on the hand, have been teaching you how to fight."

"However, they also tell me that you need extensive training on how to survive, especially when you're alone, since they are pretty limited to what they can do here at this cathedral. Therefore, the good Bishop Dave Heinberg has asked to give me to give you extensive training for survival in the outdoors by having you girls join _my_ little organization. I even took the liberty of talking with your parents earlier," she gestured at Serena and Amy, "And they very much agree that its time you got out there and did something useful."

"_Your_ organization?" Raye's frowned deepened, "What organization?"

"And what do you mean that you've already spoken with are parents?" asked Serena.

Her smile turning into a grin, along with Luna and the other trainers, Jennifer reached behind her and picked up one of the boxes. Hefty it in her hand, she walked over and handed it to Amy. Then she stepped back and waited as the girls gathered around Amy to look at the box she holding.

"_Girl Scout_ cookies?" Amy said, confused again.

"Ooooh!" Serena snatched the box from her, "My favorite kind too!"

Raye was looking at the box as if it were her nemesis come to life. Then she shifted her grandfather, Luna, Jennifer, and the other trainers, fire blazing in her dark eyes.

"Wait a second," she said with an almighty effort to control her temper, "Just _what_ are you guys planning?"

Still grinning, and bracing herself for the outburst that was sure to come, Jennifer turned and picked one of the clothing outfits she had brought in. Holding up before them, the girls saw that it was a Girl Scout uniform, the size made specifically for them.

A long moment of silence passed before...

"_Have you lost you minds?!_"

* * *

**At that moment**, Molly was staring in shock as Rosa defeated yet another opponent for what seemed to be the hundredth time. She had been unable to move from the spot she had been standing for the last three hours because she had been unable to take her eyes off her friend.

Rosa had indeed seem to have gotten better with the advice the strange man from earlier had given her, but Molly couldn't get rid of the feeling that something wasn't right. Rosa was not acting like herself. With every brief match she won, Rosa became more aggressive. It was even coming to the point where she was enjoying herself too much in all too evil way. She was somewhat relieved that she was not the only one who felt the same way. While most of the boys had left early, a number of the girl players had stayed.

The next serve Rosa made caused her opponent to go crashing into the concrete, the girl's racket spinning out her hands. Chuckling cruelly, Rosa walked over and stepped on it, breaking it in two.

"Rosa!" the girl gasped as she tried to stand up.

"What's wrong?" Rosa sneered, "It's all about the racket. If you can't hit the ball with it, then you either suck or you need to get a better racket. Ask one of your friends over there to lend you theirs and let's keep going."

Before the girl could protest, Rosa turned away and walked back to her place on the court.

"Rosa," Molly whispered, feeling could inside, "You weren't like this before. What's happened to you?"

* * *

**Raye's uproar had caused every** object in Dave's study to rattle. After meeting with Girl Scout Master Jennifer Garret, the stern woman explained to them that she had spoken with Serena's and Amy's respective parents about letting their daughters and Raye join her Girl Scout troop regardless of their age. Their parents had agreed, stating that it was time for them to get outdoors more.

While Serena and Amy didn't have much of problem of joining the Girl Scouts, Raye had been furious with her grandfather for making the decision without consulting her first.

Dave had countered Raye's fury by explaining that joining the Girl Scouts with Jennifer was the next step to their training. Having now been trained how to fight, they now needed to learn how to survive on their own and in the wilderness. Their trainers had only been able to give them a general idea of how to take on the great outdoors, while Jennifer would be able to give even further training without causing suspicion.

Serena and Amy understood the reasons made this sudden decision and eagerly agreed. Serena was thrilled with the fact that she would be able to get sell Girl Scout cookies while Amy, being assured that the Girl Scout events wouldn't interfere with cram school, was excited to finally go out into the country since she never been able to before. Raye, however, was still not happy about it because she felt she was too old and would be out of place, but agreed to it since it was part of the training.

Happy to see that they had agreed, Jennifer gave them each a pair of cookie boxes and their own uniforms before she took her leave, informing them that her troop was holding an event at Little Falls Park on the upcoming Saturday and to be their at eleven o'clock sharp.

After Serena arrived home, Isabelle was glad to see that her daughter had agreed to Jennifer's offer. As she was changing out of her school uniform, she heard the phone ringing downstairs and her mother answering it. A few minutes later Isabelle entered her room, a concern look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked as she zipped up her navy blue skirt and straightened her pink blouse.

"That was Molly's mother," said Isabelle, "she was asking if you and I could come over. She's concerned about Molly."

"_Molly_?" Serena suddenly became worried, "What's the matter with her?"

"I'm not sure, but her mother said that she came home looking like she was going to cry at any moment. She said something about a girl named Rosa and that the only person that would understand was you."

Serena blinked, "Rosa?"

"Do you know who she is?"

"Not personally. She's an old friend of Molly's and has been like a older sister to her since they were little. She's also a talented tennis player," Serena paused, "Molly wouldn't ask to come over and talk to her if she didn't have a good reason. Can we go? Molly's been a good friend to me too. I hate to see her depressed over something."

Her mother though before she nodded.

"Alright," she agreed and glanced at the clock, "Your father is supposed to be home in ten minutes. We'll wait until he gets here before we go. He wants to have a father to son talk with Sammy anyway."

"About time," Serena murmured under her breath, but her thoughts were all on Molly.

* * *

**An half an hour later**, she was sitting on the carpet floor in Molly's room. Isabelle and Molly's mother were downstairs talking while Serena watched quietly as her friend poor some hot tea into her cup. In the time she had known her since elementary school, Serena had never seen her so depressed. She waited as Molly filled her own cup before Molly put down the down the tea pot and settled down on the carpet, not meeting her eyes.

"Thank you for coming," she said in what was barely a whisper.

"Anytime," Serena shifted a little closer, "What's on you mind?"

"Well," Molly took a breath and finally met Serena's eyes, "I may just be reacting over nothing, but I'm worried about Rosa."

"How so?"

"Well, she did get better at her game after that strangeer showed up, but she being too... aggressive. Now, she's even misusing and destroying tennis equipment. She's never done anything like that before. It's like she's become a totally different person."

Serena took all that in and thought for a brief moment before smiling, hoping to cheer Molly up.

"Maybe she's just tensed up because of the upcoming tournaments," she suggested.

"That's what I thought too," Molly suddenly sniffed, "But..."

As soon as she saw the tears starting to fall, Serena was immediately at her friends side. Molly buried her face into her shoulder. Serena hugged her tightly and let weep freely, murmuring soothing words to her dear friend.

"_What's happened to her_?" Molly sobbed, "She was always with me when we were little. We would play games together and she would chase away all the boys who bullied me. When she got her first tennis racket, we would play ball together. When I tried to talk her today to see what was wrong, she told me to go away because I was nothing but a nuisance."

"I don't know what would cause Rosa to say something like that. I can't help thinking that something terrible has happened to her. I want to help her, but she won't say anything to me. I wish I could blame it on that stranger from earlier, but that would just be selfish of me."

A disturbing thought struck Serena. Could that strange have something to do with the Dark Kingdom? Could he be looking for people to steal energy from while wondering around Washington DC disguised as the businessman he claimed to be. If so, was Rosa his first victim?

A surge of anger coursed through her as she considered the possibility. She quickly forced it down before her friend could notice. Jadeite was dead, she knew for certain. If this another general from the Dark Kingdom, he may using a different tactic to steal energy. And that tactic may involve Molly's childhood friend.

"Hey, Molly," she thought quickly, "Why don't we go over and see how Rosa's doing? She may have calmed down a bit. We could try talking to her to see if we could help with whatever problem she has."

"R-Really?" Molly looked, her cheeks stained with tears, "Do you really think that will help?"

"We can at least try," Serena smiled, "Cheer up."

Molly thought for a moment before she nodded, but she looked doubtful.

"Alright," she looked over at the clock, "She won't be at the school tennis court at this time. She'll be at the tennis center where she practices with her teachers. It's only a short distance from here."

Serena helped her to her feet, grabbing a napkin to wipe away the remaining tears and straightening Molly's hair.

"Better?"

"Yeah," Molly finally smiled, "I glad you came Serena. I'm sorry I broke down like that."

"Don't worry about it," Serena hugged her, "Come on, let's go see Rosa."

* * *

**They informed their parents where** they were going and would call them in case they needed them. Five minutes later, they stood before the tennis center that Molly had mentioned.

"Is this the place?" Serena asked.

"Yes," Molly nodded, "She usually practices here after school."

The hairs on Serena's arms were prickling. While she wasn't in her Sailor Scout uniform, she could the presence of something evil residing inside the tennis center.

_Something's definitely not right,_ she thought, _If this is some monster sent from the Dark Kingdom, it might be possessing Rosa, which would explain her cruel behavior. It also feels very powerful, so I'll have to be careful. I should have brought Amy and Raye with me, but that wouldn't help Molly. Looks like I'm on my own on this one. I've got a bad feeling about this._

"What's wrong?" Molly said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh?" Serena blinked, "Oh, it's-"

A sudden scream stopped her words. The scream came directly inside the tennis center. Her face paling, Molly sprinted inside, Serena close behind her.

Rosa grinned cruelly at the two male professional tennis players before her. Her serve and knocked one of the players down and the ball was nothing but a scrap of cloth and rubber lying on the court.

"Hey!" the other male player cried, "Are you alright?!"

Weakly, the other player turned and stared at the girl.

"What a ball!" he gasped, "How is she doing it?"

Rosa only laughed, "What's wrong? Your both pros, aren't you? You should be able to hit this easily."

"Please," the still standing player, "We've had enough! At least give us a break."

Rosa ignored them and picked up another ball.

"Okay, here comes the next one!"

"Rosa, stop!"

Molly and Serena came up some distance in front of her. The professional players, seeing their opportunity, immediately ran for it. Both girls ignored them as they stared straight at Rosa.

"Out of my way!" Rosa screamed.

"No!" Molly stood firm, "Please stop this, Rosa. You're not yourself at all."

"Get out of my way, Molly!" Rosa demanded again, her voice becoming menacing.

"I won't!"

"Rosa, please calm down!" Serena said, aware that she and Molly were in danger because the evil presence was growing alarmingly stronger, but didn't move, "Can't you see that Molly is worried about you?"

Rosa's features contorted as her rage took her.

"I said _move_!" she screamed in voice that wasn't hers.

It was only then that Molly realized just how dangerous the situation had turned as something that looked like flame started to surround Rosa. Serena, however, had been prepared for it. When she saw the gust of magic power burst from Rosa's racket, she threw herself at Molly before it struck them. If felt as though a hot furnace and a whirlwind was hitting them at the same time.

The force sent them flying over the bushes. Serena tried to roll to cushion Molly's fall, but was only partially successful. Both of them landed flat on their backs. The breath was knocked out of Serena, but she quickly recovered and got to her feet. She looked at Molly and saw that she was unconscious, a lump forming at the back of her head. She quickly made sure that her friend wasn't and wouldn't be permanently hurt before she turned her attention back to Rosa.

She glanced over the bushes just in time to see a form of a body emitting from the girl as if her spirit was leaving her. A moment later, a Dark Kingdom knight in black armor and a red cape appeared and Rosa collapsed in a dead faint.

"So it is a servant of the Dark Kingdom," she murmured and took out her brooch, "Alright, time to go to work."


	2. Chapter 16 Darien Shields

**Chapter****16**

Darien Shields

The knight Tesoris had been steadily increasing Rosa's energy level within the girl's tennis racket, patiently waiting as he controlled the poor girls into almost absolute cruelty as he waited for his master to give the order to take her energy.

Far away, meditating inside his hidden mansion, Nephrite waited just as patiently for his chance for glory. When he finally felt Rosa's energy level, he nearly laughed with glee.

_Her __energy __level __is __at __its __peak! __Go, __Tesoris!_

The knight immediately heard his master's command and summoned his powers. His spirit seeped out of the racket, taking the girl's energy with it. Rosa collapsed in a dead faint as Tesoris's body formed, encased in black armor and a red cape, a great battle axe hanging at his side. He stared down at the unconscious girl, his robotic voice chuckling as he relished his little victory.

"Your energy in now mine, little girl," he said.

"Hold it right there!"

Tesoris turned to see another young girl in a familiar uniform standing a short distance from him.

While the knight's spirit had been taking Rosa's energy, Serena had transformed. Now she stood before him, pointing her wand straight at him.

"You will never hit the ace by doing something so cruel," she declared, "Return that girl's energy to her, and I will spare your life."

"Humph," Tesoris raised his battle axe, "Impudent girl. Do you really think that I will do as you say?"

"It's worth a try," Serena debated whether or not to shoot a bolt of crystal energy at him, but settled with summoning a crystal blade instead.

"Then you are even more foolish. You can be no other than the one named Sailor Moon. I am brimming with excitement. After I kill you, I'll be able to deliver both the girl's energy and your head to my master."

"No thanks," Serena took her stance, "I prefer to keep my head."

She expected the knight to attack her straight up. Instead a white orb the size of a tennis ball appeared between the blades of the axe. Before she could react, the knight lifted his weapon and swung like a tennis player. The white orb sprung straight at her.

Serena acted on instinct and summoned her shield, expecting the orb to clash harmlessly against it when it impacted. Instead the orb dispensed and surrounded her, knocking her wand out of her hand and her shield disappearing. Before she realized what happened, she found herself completely adsorbed by white like light like she was inside a bubble.

"What the...?"

The knight laughed, "You fell for it like the naïve child you are! Enjoy your first and last flight through the air!"

With a wave of his hand the orb lifted, taking Serena with it. The Sailor Scout could only watch in horror as she was lifted higher and higher into the air. It hung there for a brief moment, then fell to the ground like a rock falling from the sky.

Serena screamed, expecting the the impact to kill her. Instead, when the orb hit the concrete court, she felt a great shock hitting her body as if she was being struck by lighting. She suddenly realized it actually was lighting.

Then the orb lifted again and started bouncing around the court like an uncontrolled basketball, each impact shocking her with lighting. He skin burned and her uniform blackened. As her strength was drained away with each strike, she realized that the knight was slowly torturing her to death. Cursing at her herself for her stupidity and overconfidence, she awaited her death as blackness started to consumed her.

Then the orb suddenly disappeared before the next impact and she collapsed on the court, battered, bruised, and burned. She heard two people cursing, one from the knight and the other from a familiar voice.

"Sailor Moon!" it said desperately.

Her eyes snapped opened, her visioned blurred before it cleared and she saw a face wearing a familiar white mask.

"_Tuxedo __Mask_," she whispered and tried to summon a smile.

"Avon be praised, you're alive," he smiled weakly, gently caressing her cheek, "Where does it hurt?"

She coughed, "Everywhere," it was so difficult to breath.

Had she the strength, she would have flinched from the way he gritted his teeth and how his anger seethed from him.

"I'll get you out of here," he started to lift her.

"No!" she placed a hand on his warm chest to stop him, "We have to stop... that knight. He has that girl's energy."

"I'll take care of it," he protested, "You are in no condition to fight."

"I can... heal myself," she gasped, "Luna taught me how. Please... I have to finish this... for my friend. Just... give me some time."

She felt her hero hesitate, sensing how reluctant.

"Alright," he put her down, "I'll give you the time you need."

"Thank you," she tried to smile again.

Tuxedo Mask had arrived just in time to see Sailor Moon bounce around the court in the white orb, each impact shocking her with lighting. His fury took him and he jumped into the court. The knight, busy with his torturing of the Sailor Scout, didn't notice that he was behind him.

He took out a red rose bud from his belt and flung it, striking the knight right in the back. Before the knight realized what happened, the bud sprouted and ropes shaped like rose vines wrapped around him, trapping his arms. Even as he started to lose his balance, Tuxedo Mask was at Sailor Moon's side in a instant.

The knight was finally able to free himself as Tuxedo Mask set Sailor Moon down and turned to face him, hiding his anger with a cocky smile. He trusted Sailor Moon enough that she'd be able to heal herself and join the fight again. He would willing to lay down his life to give the time she needed.

"How dare you interfere, boy!" the knight screamed at him, "For that, you shall end up like her!"

"I think not," Tuxedo Mask said coolly as he drew his black rapier, "I take no delight in torturing young ladies. Why don't _you_ try it?"

"You fool!" the knight laughed, "You will now _feel_ how it's like to be tortured as she was!"

The knight summoned the white orb again. Just before he launched it, Tuxedo Mask leaped into the air, causing him to correct his aim. However, the orb still shot well bellow the hero. The knight lifted his gaze, preparing to launch another orb, but he was blinded by one of the over lights.

Tuxedo Mask took that opportunity and took out his cane. Aiming it at the knight, it expanded and the struck the knight straight in the chest, knocking him right off his feet. His plan, hope, was to keep the knight's attacks focused on him, giving Sailor Moon the time she needed to heal herself.

During that moment, Serena struggled to stand. Her body was in pain and every effort made it more painful, but she was not going to accept defeat. Had it only been a simple wound, she could heal herself instantly. But since her entire body was injured she had to use a stronger healing spell, requiring her to stand so she could perform the spell in the correct. If Amy and Raye were here they could have healed her themselves, but since they weren't she would have to do it herself.

With the remaining strength she had left she made one last effort. Her knees wobbled, but she remained standing. She didn't take the time to celebrate as her gaze caught Tuxedo Mask fighting the knight. Her hero had given her the chance she needed. The rest was now up to her.

She clasped her hands together as if she was praying and closed her eyes.

"_Venia, __curaret __me_!" she cried and raised her arms as if she embracing God.

Golden light appeared at her feet and surrounded her. The serious burns and other injuries littering her body disappeared, her uniform returning to its prime condition. Her strength returned to her and she felt as if she was walking under a warm spring day. It was as if her injuries had never happened.

The golden light disappeared, the spell now complete. Serena opened her eyes, her confidence and determined having reached new heights.

"Sailor Moon!"

She saw Tuxedo Mask toss her wand at her. During the her healing phase he had found it lying on the court and picked it up. Serena caught it and summoned a crystal blade again. On the other side of the tennis net, the knight stared at her as if he was facing a dragon.

"Let's try this again, knight," she challenged, "I'm not finished just yet."

The knight growled and raised his weapon again. As Serena prepared herself Tuxedo Mask was at her side again.

"Take this!" the knight screamed.

Serena expected him to throw another white orb, but instead his axe spouted fire like a flame thrower. Just as she was thinking that she was going to get burned again, Tuxedo Mask snatched her into his left arm and leaped into the air, the roaring fire missing them by a yard.

For moment, Serena forgot all about being a Sailor Scout and fighting the enemy. Nothing could compare to the way her heart was beating and how his strength made her feel so protected. She felt herself floating, soaring, in the arms of her hero.

"Let's finish him together!" his words jerked her wits back to reality.

"R-Right!" she said.

The fire had dispensed enough that they were able to land back down on the court safely.

"I'll take care of his weapon," he said as he let her go, "You strike the instant he's defenseless."

Serena didn't have time so much to nod when the knight attacked again with the fireball. Both her and Tuxedo Mask sidestepped to either side of the fireball.

Tuxedo Mask pulled a rose bud sticky grenade and threw. It stuck to the knight's axe and exploded. The knight only received minor injuries thanks to his armor, but his weapon was completely destroyed.

"Now, Sailor Moon!"

As Serena raised her sword to attack, she saw Tuxedo Mask suddenly double over from the corner of her eye. Her focus on the knight evaporated, replaced with concern for her hero. He was holding his head as if though he was having a very painful headache. At the same instant, his clothes starting flashing with white light.

"Tuxedo Mask!" she starting running toward him, "Are you hurt?"

"Don't worry about me!" Tuxedo Mask said quickly, "Finish the knight! Your friend's life depends on it!"

Serena stopped, realizing he was right. As much as she wanted to help him, Rosa's life was more important than his at the moment. If she didn't return Rosa's energy, Rosa would possibly die.

"Alright," she said and charged at the knight, jumping over the net.

The knight had been able to recover from the explosion. He saw Sailor Moon flying at him with her sword raised and grabbed her. Serena had no chance to react as he threw her over his head headfirst toward the chain linked fence. She saw the fence coming quickly to her and flipped over, putting her feet out in front of her.

Dave and Luna had taught how to counter strong enemies who liked to throw their opponents into solid objects with their brute strength. In this case, as soon as her feet hit the fence, she let her weight sink into it. The fence sank a little as she lifted her head to meet the knight's gaze, her body now vertical over the ground.

Then she used the very trick Luna had taught her in launching an unexpected counter attack. She charged energy into her feet and launched herself off the fence. Tesoris was caught totally unprepared. With no weapon to defend himself, he couldn't even duck in time before Serena's blade cut his head off.

She flipped over the net and landed perfectly on the court again. Turning as she stood, she saw the knight's headless body fall to the ground. The energy he had taken seeped out from him and flowed back to Rosa's body before the knight itself disappeared, head and all. She rushed over to see if Rosa was alive and was relieved to feel a pulse.

"Sailor Moon!"

She looked up and saw Luna running toward her. Amy and Raye were right behind, both in their Sailor Scout uniforms.

"Are you alright?" Luna gasped and looked around, "What happened?"

Quickly Serena explained what happened. When she finished, Luna stared at her in amazement.

"You took that knight on all by yourself after taking a beating? I'm impressed, well done."

"Thank you," Serena beamed, winking at her friends. Amy grinned at her, but Raye only rolled her eyes, "But I had some help from Tuxedo..."

On a gasp she whirled to where she had last seen Tuxedo Mask, but he was no longer there. She rushed over to the spot, unable to believe she had completely forgotten about him.

"He's not here," she looked around, knowing that by now he could anywhere, "I hope he's okay."

"Tuxedo Mask was here?" asked Luna.

"Yes, I would've have died if he hadn't arrived. He gave me enough time to heal myself after I was nearly shocked to death. Just a moment before I finished off the knight, Tuxedo Mask was kneeling at this very spot, looking like he was in pain. I thought he had been wounded, but he told not to worry about him and save Rosa. There was something that was really odd, too. When I saw him kneeling like that, his clothes starting flashing."

"Flashing?" Luna frowned.

"Yeah, like a light bulb."

Serena watched as Luna went into deep thought.

"Do you know what happened to him?" she asked after a moment.

"I'm not sure," Luna said, shaking her head, "This a very unusual. I have a suspicion, but it will be impossible to explain until I can learn more about him. If he wasn't wounded, then we'll see him again soon."

"I hope so," Serena murmured before they rejoined the others

"How is she?" Luna asked.

"She's fine," Raye rose after observing Rosa's still unconscious body.

"How did you guys get here?" Serena asked, "I didn't have time to let you know where I was or what was going on."

"Amy and I were doing some extra training at the cathedral when Luna suddenly felt a surge of energy coming from this direction," Raye explained.

"She told us to transform and follow her," added Amy, "You must have just defeated the knight just before we arrived."

"I did," Serena nodded proudly, "Although I probably should have called you first before taking him on. If it hadn't been for Tuxedo Mask, I would have died trying to defeat him by myself."

"What I don't understand," Amy glanced down at Rosa, "Is why they only targeted one person this time. They've never done that before."

"That thought occurred to me as well," Raye nodded thoughtfully, "Why did they go after only one person instead instead of a bunch of people like before?"

"Because our new general of the Dark Kingdom is using a completely different tactic to gather energy from humans," Luna stated, "It's just what I suspected. Serena, explain to me what exactly happened, specifically when the knight first appeared."

Serena blinked and thought for a moment.

"Well," she took a breath, "to begin with, Molly and I-"

"Molly?"

"She's back there in the bushes," she said quickly and pointed, "Unconscious, but okay."

She went on to explain how Rosa was a long time friend of Molly's and was also a talented tennis player. She then told them about how Molly had asked her to come over and how they arrived here at the tennis center.

"Even before we entered the place," she went on, "I immediately sensed that something was wrong. When we entered the court, I saw that Rosa was not herself at all. If was as if she had become the exact opposite of who she is. To put it in a word: _evil_. And I the energy signature I was feeling from her, it was incredible! It felt as though it was it was just to burst at any moment."

"As me and Molly tried to reason with her, Rosa just lost it. She swung at us with that racket and magic power surged from it, knocking us into the bushes back there. After I quickly made sure Molly was alright, I looked over to see the knight's spirit coming out of the racket, taking the Rosa's energy with him because she collapsed in a dead faint. As the knight's own body formed, I transformed. The rest you know."

Luna glanced over at the racket lying on the ground and walked over to it, taking a moment to observe it.

"There's evidence that a powerful magic spell was performed on this," she announced, "Serena, do you recall anyone who might have touched this racket besides Rosa?"

Serena thought for moment, "Actually, there was. Earlier today, just after Molly and I got out of school, we went over to the school tennis courts to watch Rosa practice. A businessman named Mason Sanderson came over and gave Rosa some advice about serving the ball. He's the only one I saw who touched the racket."

"What did he look like?" asked Luna, eyes now narrowed.

"Tall, broad shouldered, long deep red hair, and very handsome. He wasn't dressed like a businessman, but he clothing was very casual. I couldn't see his eyes, but I remember that he was watching Rosa intently."

"Do you think that man may be the culprit?" asked Raye.

Amy shook her head, "Even if he is guilty, we don't have have enough evidence to know he's from the Dark Kingdom. As far as we know, anyone could have touched that racket."

"When Molly was talking to me earlier," Serena put it, "she told me that Rosa didn't start acting the way she was until after that man came."

"That makes it likely that that man is our suspect," Luna said thoughtfully, "but Amy's right. We don't enough proof to know that he is responsible. However, I do know of the method that was used for taking that girl's energy and the reason for it."

"You do?" Serena glanced at her.

"Yes," Luna took a breath, "It's called the energy peak, or sometimes energy burst. It was a common technique among Sailor Scouts and other magic users. You know how energy is used to enhance attacks when using weapons and spells? There is also a technique that allows a user to go beyond their energy levels to make their attacks several times stronger than a normal enhancement, which is what the energy. For some users, the energy peak will last only while for others it can last for quite a while depending on how well they've mastered the technique."

"However, this technique can also be very dangerous if the user is not fully aware of what he or she is capable of and does not use it properly. Energy peaks can make you very powerful for a period of time, but there is danger of killing yourself in the process due to extreme exhaustion. In Rosa's case, whoever cast the spell to possess her racket had the intent of forcing her energy level to its peak and then taking it away from her, not caring whether or not she lived or died. It's possible to survive an energy peak, but it would you leave extremely tired and, in the worst cases, defenseless."

"That girl is very fortunate to be alive. If Serena hadn't destroyed that knight and returned Rosa's energy to her, unless she had a strong will to live, she would have more thank likely died for that very reason."

Dead silence passed as the girls took in what Luna had told them, their mouths open with shock.

"_My God_," Amy felt dizzy for a moment, "We're dealing with a monster here."

"'_For the evildoers shall be cut off_'," Raye placed a hand on her heart, "'_but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land_'. Psalm 37:9. I only say that because this is an evil that cannot be tolerated."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Serena clenched, "If that man Sanderson, and I doubt that's his real name if he from the Dark Kingdom, is responsible for this, then I will make him pay for it. To do something like this to someone is beyond horrible, it's inhuman!"

"A sad but true sentiment," Luna nodded, "My suspicion on the possibility that our new enemy would use a different tactic in collecting energy turned out to be true. This new enemy isn't like Jadeite, so we must be careful from this point. Since the Dark Kingdom is now targeting a specific person instead of a group of people, we're going to have a harder time tracking the enemy down. Be on the lookout, everyone. Keep your eyes and ears open and your senses sharp. If any of you feel something that feels like a unusual surge of energy, contact the others and get on it right away," she suddenly turned her head toward the bushes, "I believe Molly's beginning to stir."

Serena glanced to where her friend was lying.

"You guys better get out of here," she said quickly and transformed back into her civilian clothes, "I can't go with you since our parents are expecting us back at Molly's place. I'll meet up with you at the cathedral tomorrow."

Luna and the other Scouts nodded their agreement and were gone as Serena ran over to Molly's side. A moment later her friend opened her eyes, moaning as she tried to sit up.

"Easy," Serena said when Molly flinched in pain, "You took a good knock to head."

"Wha...What happened," Molly moaned again, "All I remember was Rosa losing her temper and then... Rosa! Is she here still here? Is she-"

"Easy," Serena said again, "She's alright. After you were knocked out, I argued with her to the point where she collapsed from exhaustion. Come on, she should be waking up in a few minutes."

She help Molly stand and guided her to where Rosa lay. On a gasp, Molly flung herself to Rosa's side and turned her over, placing her friend's head on her lap.

"Rosa!" she said desperately, "Can you hear me? Rosa!"

A few minutes later, Rosa finally stirred opened her eyes to meet Molly's. Serena smiled cheerfully while Molly openly wept with relief.

"Rosa!" she cried, "Thank goodness you're alright."

"Molly?" Rosa whispered, "What happened? Oh! My head feels like it's about to split open."

"You overexerted yourself and collapsed from being so worn out," said Serena, "You need to be more careful when taking your frustration out on your friends and the sport you love so much. You nearly scared Molly to death."

"Is that what happened?" Rosa moaned.

"You don't remember?" Molly sounded surprised.

"I don't remember anything like that," Rosa tried to sit up and Molly helped her up, "If any of that is true though, then I'm very sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"You were just pent up inside, that's all," Serena glanced up as a pair of headlights came into view, "Someone's here."

Molly glanced over her shoulder, "That should be her dad. He usually picks her up around this time. Can you stand, Rosa?"

"I think so, but my head still hurts a lot."

"Take some ibuprofen when you get home," Serena suggested as they helped Rosa stand, "Then get a good night sleep. You've had a long day, after all."

* * *

**Over at the abandoned house**, Nephrite stood there in silence, furious at the result of his failure to collect energy and destroy the Sailor Scouts.

"How is it they can be that strong?" he spat, "It's just impossible!"

As if to further his humiliation, a high pitched laugh reached his ears from above. He lifted his gaze to see Zoisite appear, floating above and smiling with glee.

"I told you you wouldn't be able to defeat those Sailor Scouts the first time," he smirked.

"I like to see you try," he shot back, "I doubt you could do any better."

"Oh," Zoisite, "believe me when I say I can, and I will. Unfortunately, I cannot act without Queen Beryl's approval. Until then, good luck with you next plan. After today, you're going to need it."

Nephrite gave him a black scowl as Zoisite laughed again and disappeared, living him alone again to go over his thoughts. He had underestimated the Sailor Scouts, but was most surprised when he realized his knight was only facing the one named Sailor Moon.

This presented a problem. Sailor Moon was the leader of the Original Nine and the overall leader of the Sailor Scouts Universe during the Silver Millennium. If she was strong enough to take down his knight, then she and others were well capable of taking on whatever else he sent at them, despite the fact they were only Prism Scouts, the lowest and weakest rank of the SSU.

"Avon is truly watching over them," he surmised, "They were his angels of peace and justice back then and still are now, even though their time has long passed. One thing is clear, these are not the same Sailor Scouts as before. The girls who wear those uniforms now have been given an impossible task, one they are determined to fulfill. I best wait for a few days before I make my next move. It will test Queen Beryl's patience, but if this mission is to succeed I have to take one step carefully at a time. Then, when the time comes, the Sailors Scouts and their legacy will be destroyed for all eternity."

* * *

**Rosa honestly could not remember** what had happened to her and why she acted the way she did. Serena, seeing that there had been no significant damage done, told Molly that that she could have just been having a bad day and suggested that they forget about the whole event. Rosa, however, felt very guilty for her behavior and made up for it after school by apologizing to everyone and even inviting Molly to play tennis with her for old times sake.

Happy to see that all was well, Serena watched and chuckled as Molly struggled to play the sport Rosa loved so much before she left them to their happiness. She was troubled by Tuxedo Mask's unusual condition in the skirmish last night, but until she saw him again she would have to assume that he was alright since there was nothing she could do for him.

_I hope he's okay,_ she thought, _It was bad enough when I thought we lost him at the airport after defeating Jadeite. Losing him now would absolutely kill me._

Since that night at the airport she had been wondering why she was so attracted to the dashing masked rogue. She thought about talking about it to Luna and her mother, but they would only tell her she was having a teenage crush. In a sense that was true, but there was more to it.

It felt as though she had met the young man before, but she couldn't recall where. Recently she had been having dreams about him. One was almost like a scene straight out of _Romeo and Juliet_, where she would standing on a balcony in some magnificent white palace looking down at her hero, dressed just like a prince in black. In another dream she would sitting on the lap of her hero looking down on the ocean and countryside lit by moonlight while he piloting some kind of flying machine.

What was interesting was that in both those dreams her hero was not wearing a mask like he always did. But every time she tried to see his face she would always wake up, making her both angry and blushing like the innocent schoolgirl she was. The dreams felt so familiar they actually felt like memories. And that was what bugging her, she had no recollection of something like that happening, but something kept telling her it was true.

Although she hadn't gotten a good look at her hero's face, she couldn't help noticing that there was something familiar about him. It mostly had to do with his hair, she realized. Black as midnight, just like the clothes he wore. She then remembered the annoying young man she had kept running into since that first time at the jewelry shop. His hair was the exact same color. She even remembered about Raye stating that the man looked so much like Tuxedo Mask. Come to think of it, they did bear quite a resemblance.

She suddenly stopped, blinking, then shook her head furiously. _What was she thinking?! There was no way that annoying young man could be her hero, no matter how much they resembled each other! She meant it when she said it the first time! She didn't even know the man's name for heaven's sake!_

Letting out a frustrated growl, she continued on her way to the cathedral.

When she reached there she found that Luna, her friends, and their trainers, had all come to the same conclusion they had had discussed just last night. Dave, however, was proud to hear how well she did fighting all by herself the knight. Apparently Luna hadn't mentioned the fact that she had came very close to dying and that Tuxedo Mask was there to help her.

Seeing that there nothing else to go on from what they already now, Serena and the other girls went on with their daily training routine for the next two hours before spending a third hour doing whatever homework they had.

Both Serena and Amy were getting excited for the weekend. On Saturday they would have their first day as Girl Scouts. Both of them were eager to put on their uniforms for the first time. Raye, however, was still upset at her grandfather and was all that much thrilled about the upcoming event at the park with Scout Mistress Jennifer Garret.

After they were finished at the cathedral for the day, Amy suggested that they get together on Friday and hang out after school. Eager for some time off, they asked their trainers and Luna if they could get out early. Happy with their progress, Luna suggested about giving them the day off instead and the trainers agreed.

And so Friday came and Serena returned home after school to find that Luna was nowhere in sight. Assuming that Luna was out on one of her meditating walks, she changed out of her school uniform and into a cute pink blouse and sea green skirt. She quickly brushed her hair and applied a little makeup before slipping on a pair of red slippers and heading out the door again, reminding Isabelle where she was going and would be back before dinner.

She met Amy and Raye at the cathedral a short time later. Amy had donned a light blue dress similar to what she wore when she and Serena went to mall shortly after they'd first met, but lacked the bow tie. Raye wore an interesting outfit consisting of pale yellow blouse and a blue jean skirt that came complete with a brown leather belt at the waist. Smiling together, they got onto a bus and were soon on their way.

The day steadily passed as they first went to the mall and visited various shops, looking here there but not really buying anything. After they left, Amy suggested wanted to visit the same park they were going to be at when they went with the Girl Scouts, stating that she wanted them to meet an old friend of hers. Curious, her friends agreed.

The sun was beginning to set when they arrived at Little Falls Park. The park itself and its little lake extended past the border of the District of Columbia and into the state of Maryland. Serena and Raye took a moment to admire its simple beauty, lit by the brilliant red hues of the sun.

"Wow," Raye breathed in the cool air, "It's really nice and surprisingly quiet here."

"I agree," Serena looked out at the little pedal boats operated by young couples, "It would be a perfect place to have a date."

"You really like it?" Amy beamed.

"Of course!" Raye smiled, "I'm bit surprised you know about this place a little."

"Not that much," Amy sighed sadly, "When my father died years ago, mother and I would come here to have some peace and quiet as a way to ease the pain. Mr. Oliver, I never asked what his last name is, would come over and talk to us even when we wanted to be alone. He's the head caretaker of this park and he's very nice. Mother's has been very grateful to him for helping her to move on after my father's death and he's been like a grandfather to me. Nowadays I come here to read when I don't have cram school or when I'm not training at the cathedral."

She looked over and saw someone tending a flower bed, "I thinks that him over there, since he's also a bit of a gardener. Come on, I'd like you meet him."

They followed her to where the man was knelt at the flower bed, spreading insect repellent powder across the pedals with his gloved hands.

"Mr. Oliver?" Amy said softly.

The man started and turned, lifting his cabby hat that shadowed his eyes.

"Amy!" Mr. Oliver smiled brightly and stood, taking off his gloves. He was in his early fifties and of average height, his face deeply tanned. His eyes and hair were both dark but his eyes showed nothing but kindness as he embraced Amy warmly.

"Amy, my little dove," he smiled down at her, "How are you? I haven't seen you in quite a while."

"I'm doing very well, Mr. Oliver," Amy returned warmly, "I haven't been able to come that often because of school and other things."

Mr. Oliver chuckled, "Still the bookworm, I see. You've also grown up a little since I last saw you. You're as lovely as your mother now."

"Thank you," Amy blushed.

Mr. Oliver looked over her shoulder, "I see you brought a couple of friends with you."

"Yes," Amy turned to them, "This is Serena and Raye, two very good friends. Serena and I go to the same school together."

The girls exchanged greetings with the caretaker.

"I'm happy to see you made two friends who are as lovely as you are," he said, making them both smile, "Do you have a few minutes, Amy? I like to show you something. Your friends can come along too, if they like. I was just finishing up with this flower bed when you came."

Amy looked at him curiously, "Sure."

Smiling brightly, Mr. Oliver picked up his gloves and tossed them into a wheelbarrow. He was about to pick up a pair of buckets filled a various garden items when Serena and Raye stepped in.

"Here," Serena smiled, "Let us carry these for you."

Mr. Oliver seemed a bit surprised, but nodded, "Thank you. Be careful of that one, Miss Raye. It's heavy and has a bunch of insect and rodent poisons."

"I'll be careful," Raye assured.

Together they walked with Mr. Oliver as he pushed his wheelbarrow down a path thought the park with walking side by side with him.

"Amy tells us you the head caretaker of this park," said Serena.

"Yes," he nodded, then sighed, "I do have a number of helping hands here, but they're so lazy I might as well be running it by myself."

"That must be hard for you," Raye eyes widened.

"I actually don't really mind," he grinned, "I like gardening and nature, and as long as I can keep my hands busy I don't have to worry about anything else."

Amy eyes caught something across the lake that looked like a construction zone. Even though the sun was setting, the bulldozers and cranes will still hard at work and she could see construction workers moving here and there.

"That's new," she pointed, "What are they building over there?"

Mr. Oliver followed her gaze and grinned, "A little seafood restaurant in hopes they can bring in more visitors, which I think is a good thing. They're even going to put in a little fishing peer so the little kids can go fishing. They haven't been able to build do to past few rains we had so they're behind schedule and trying to make up for lost time."

"That's nice," Raye grinned, "We should try to visit here again when the restaurant opens."

"You'll probably see me there when it does," Mr. Oliver laughed, "I happen to like seafood after all. Ah, here we are."

They stopped before another flower bed, this one consisting of bluebells.

"Oh, my," Amy stared.

"I made this for you, Amy," Mr. Oliver smiled, "I remembered you mentioning to me that bluebells were your favorite flower. So I made an entire flower bed for you. I wanted to show this you as a birthday present, but then I realized that I never asked when you birthday was."

For a minute, Amy couldn't speak as she gazed at the flower bed as if in a dream. Then, her eyes prickling with tears, she hugged her good friend tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're very welcome, my little dove."

They then spent next half-hour helping Mr. Oliver tend the flowers with him giving them tips on how to take care of a garden should they happen to make one in the future. He even went to the extent of giving Amy a pot of the bluebells to her as a present. Overjoyed, she took them and gave him a fond kiss before announcing they should be going.

"Please come again soon," Mr. Oliver hugged her one last time, "And tell your mother I said hello."

"I will," Amy smiled, "And thank you again for the flowers."

"We'll actually be here again tomorrow," said Serena, "We just joined a Girl Scout troop a few days ago and we'll be doing a project here tomorrow."

"Oh, yes!" Amy flushed, "I can't believe I forgot about that."

"You're with the Girl Scouts now?" Mr. Oliver lifted his eyebrows, "I'm surprised seeing that you're a bit old for that. But, better late than never."

"You can say that again," Raye muttered under her breath.

"You must be with Jennifer Garret's troop."

Raye brought her gaze up, "Do you know her?"

"Only a little. She's done several projects with her troop over the years, so chances are we'll see each other again."

"I hope so," Amy smiled, hefting her flower pot, "Well, we better be going. We'll hopefully see you tomorrow."

"Take care, Amy," Mr. Oliver smiled.

* * *

**A short time later they** were back in Serena's familiar neighborhood. The sun had set and the stars were out. As they came toward the arcade center, Serena was about to ask her friends if they like to play at the arcades since they still had a little time when something caught her eye.

A man in running clothes suddenly dashed out across the street, a dump truck coming right toward him. She gasped in horror as the man snatched something from the street and kept running, jumping onto the sidewalk. The dump truck didn't even slow down and went on its way. The landing was now kneeling a short distance from her, cradling a black cat in his arms.

"Are you alright?" she heard him say, "No, you don't look hurt."

Serena gasped as she recognized the man's voice. It was the annoying man she had several times before and had always called Meatball Head. Then she saw the cat lift its head and she immediately recognized it was Luna!

"Hey!" she yelled and marched forward, "What do you think you're doing to my Luna?!"

The man lifted his gaze, confirming that it really was him. His handsome face held a black scowl as he stood, obviously recognizing her.

"If she's your cat, you should keep a better eye on her," he shot back, "She's nearly got run over!"

"Give her to me," Serena snatched Luna from his arms, "She's none of your business! Besides, she's not some average alley cat."

Poor Luna felt like she was some toy being argued over by two little children. She had been lost in deep thought and hadn't been paying attention when she had attempted to cross the street. If this man hadn't saved her just now, she would have been dead. As she hung there helplessly in Serena hands, unable to speak because of the man's presence, Amy and Raye came to her rescue.

"Serena, stop it!" Raye scolded.

"Yes, please," Amy pleaded, "He's just saved Luna's live. You should at least be thanking him."

Serena's criticism only made her more irritated. It was bad enough whenever she being humiliated by this man, but to hear her friends criticizing her in front of him only made it worse.

"Why are you guys taking his side now?" she glared at them.

Just at that moment, the sliding doors of the arcade center opened and Andrew stepped out. He didn't see the girls right away, his gaze focused on the young man in front of them.

"Hey, Darien," he smiled, "You finally made it."

"Yo, Andrew," the man returned, "Sorry I'm late."

Serena stared at the young man and then at Andrew. _Darien?_ Andrew knew this man? Before Andrew could speak again, Serena interrupted him.

"Andrew?" she pointed at the man named Darien, "You... _know_ this guy?"

Andrew seemed surprised at first to her and her friends there, but he nodded.

"Uh, yeah," he introduced his friend, "This is Darien Shields. He's goes to the same high school as I do."

Serena stared at him and then turned her gaze onto Darien, who now had his strong arms crossed and was looking at her as if daring her to say something smart.

"You're... a _high school student_?!" were the only words that came out of her mouth.

Darien only lifted an eyebrow, "Is there a problem with that? If I recall, you've already seen me in my school uniform."

She had, she'd just forgotten. It was most likely because he had caught her from falling when she had walked right into him. The memory of him holding her in his strong arms came back and she felt a blush rising to her face. Shaking her head furiously, she set Luna down and stormed into the arcade center.

Darien watched her go with open curiosity, before shrugging and walking in as well, Andrew right beside him. They were starting to chat as the doors slide closed, leaving Luna, Amy, and Raye standing there in bewilderment.

"Well," Raye spoke first, "That was unexpected."

"Indeed," Luna nodded, looking amused, "If I didn't know any better, I think Serena actually likes that young man named Darien."

Raye looked at her, startled, "You really think so? After seeing that, I highly doubt she has any hint of romance in her head."

"You never know," Luna shrugged, "Opposites do have a tendency to attract."

"What were you doing crossing the street without looking?" Amy asked.

"Oh, that," Luna shrugged, "I was thinking too much and wasn't paying attention. My fault entirely."

Amy and Raye looked at each other. Luna didn't seem to be herself at all. Whatever she had been thinking about it obviously consumed her entire mind.

"Are you alright, Luna?" Raye asked suspiciously, "You seem a little... off."

Luna's expression turned into a frown, "I haven't been drinking, if that's what you're suggesting. And since when do cats actually drink?"

"No!" Raye flushed with embarrassment, "I wasn't suggesting that! I was just-"

"Never mind," Luna sighed, "I should be getting back to Serena's house. Don't stay out too late, girls."

"Be careful, Luna," Amy called as the cat went on her way.

After she disappeared out of sight, Amy and Raye looked at each other again but could only shrug and walked into the arcade center.

Serena was already playing the Sailor V and, as usual, she was having hard with it again. Amy went over to her side to see how she was doing. Raye, however, looked around for the young man named Darien but he was nowhere in sight. Instead, she found Andrew looking over one of the arcade machines.

"Okay!" she heard Serena yell as she strolled over to him, "Another dollar going in!"

"Are you sure it's okay to waste so much money on this?" said Amy.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Serena replied impatiently.

Raye ignored them both and put on a smile as she approached Andrew.

"Hello, Andrew," she said.

Andrew looked up and smiled, "Hello, Raye. Can I help you with something?"

"Actually," Raye sat down on a nearby arcade machine stool, "I wanted to ask about your friend Darien. What do you know about him?"

Andrew looked at her curiously but answered, "Not a whole lot, to be honest. I first met him when we started high school in our freshman year. He was really quiet and a bit nervous at first, but once we started talking to each other we became good friends."

"I do know that his parents died in a car accident when he was little and that he's been living with his great-uncle, since his grandparents wouldn't take him in because his mother was their daughter and she married a man they didn't approve of. His great-uncle is a famous English professor at UDC."

"The University of the District of Columbia?" asked Raye, surprised.

"Yup," Andrew nodded.

"Wow," Raye took a moment to take that in, "That explains his casual clothing and gentlemanly manners."

"Well," Andrew chuckled, "I wouldn't so much call him a gentleman. He's very serious about his schooling, but I think that's because he doesn't know what he's going to be doing after he gets out of high school. On top of that, he's not interested in dating any girls. He'll be nice to them, since they all think he's the cutest guy at school, but he'll never spent lunch with them or even go out with them. So I wouldn't get your hopes up for going out on a date with him, if that's why you're asking me about him."

Raye's jaw dropped and her face blushed.

"No!" she held up her hands and waved them innocently, "I was only curious about him, that's all!"

Andrew only looked at her with a amused expression before he went on his way, leaving Raye sitting there all alone. She didn't mind, for despite what she had learned about Darien, she was already plotting to become his girlfriend and go out on a day with him.

_Darien Shields_, she thought as a devilish grin spread across her lips, _He and I will be a perfect match for each other. Serena was right about that park. I'll take Darien out on a date with him and we'll spend some time there._

"Alright!" Serena yelled again, "This will be the last time!"

* * *

**Back over at Little Falls Park,** Mr. Oliver was watching the construction workers working hard into the night from atop of a little hill covered with trees. He liked watching them and would sometimes stroll over to talk to them whenever they went on break.

"This will be a nice little addition to the park," he said to himself.

"Quite despicable, don't you think?" said a voice from behind.

Startled, Mr. Oliver whirled around to see a casually dressed young man with long dark auburn hair and cold blue eyes coming to his side. He seemed to be growing very angry as he watched the construction unit.

"Humanity seems to have forgotten what nature bestows upon them," the man continued, "They cut down trees, pollute the oceans and air, kill the animals for sport, and build building after building, all for their pathetic convenience."

Mr. Oliver bristled and he fought the urge to beat the man to a bloody pulp. He hated it when he had to deal with environmentalists and animal rights activists. This man had the very look of both of them combined.

"What are you talking about?!" he nearly screamed, "We've taken good care of our forests, rivers and oceans, and have protected animals as best we could. It's idiots like you who keep could causing problems for us with your insane anti-humanity and anti-industry ideals!"

The man ignored him and said, "It's time for someone to teach these conceited humans the wrath of nature. And _you_ will lead that movement."

Mr. Oliver blinked, "What?"

Before he could react, the man placed a hand on his head and he felt the world go dark. When everything cleared the man was gone, but he was sweating as if he had awoken from a terrible nightmare. Then he saw the construction unit again and he suddenly became very angry.

A minute later, the construction workers were running for their lives as animals and insects attacked them, destroying their equipment in the process.

Nephrite watched from the shadows and grinned with satisfaction.

_With my druid possessing your hat, you have the power to call the trees, the animals, and the insects to your will. The more you use those powers, the more your energy will increase._

He gave a laugh and walked away, waiting for the time to come.


	3. Chapter 17 The Aqua Suits

**- I very sorry for the delay of this chapter. A lot of things happened after I finished with the last one. First came finishing up with school, moving in with my parents for the summer, helping my dad out after his open heart surgery(yeah, it's that serious), and just recently I got into a car accident. So it took me a while to finish this chapter but I finally got it done last night so here you go!**

**- ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm also working on another Sailor Moon fanfic called "_Heaven's Horizon_". If you remember Luna's tale about when she told Serena and the others about the journey The 2nd Original Nine made across the galaxy to stop Queen Metallia in Chapter 13 of Part One, I've started writing the story based on that. It'll probably only be the first chapter so I'm only going to be experimenting to see what the reaction may be. Other than that, enjoy this new chapter of the Sailor Moon Legacy!**

* * *

**Chapter ****17**

The Aqua Suits

Saturday came and for the first time in what seemed to be a long time, Serena actually got a good night sleep. She'd thought her excitement for her first day as a Girl Scout would cause her to stay awake. Instead, she'd slept well and rose with a bright smile on her face.

She stretched, feeling like she could take on the whole world, then stood and walked over to throw open the curtains. It was a beautiful day, warm with a cool breeze. Eagerly, she went over to her closet and pulled out her Girl Scout uniform. She put it her bed and took a moment to gaze at it, admiring the simple white shirt and the teal green skirt, neckerchief, and beret.

"Well," came Luna's voice from behind, "You're sure up in spirits."

Serena turned her head to see Luna looking at her with a grin, having just awoken from her sleeping spot spot in her room.

"Just thought I'd get ready," she said with a smile.

"For the event?" Luna lifted a brow mockingly, "Or for the Girl Scout cookies?"

Serena sent her glare, but shrugged admittedly as she started to change.

"I guess you could say both," she said, "But you did say this will also be a training mission for us. We might as well enjoy ourselves before we start our training routine."

"Except this time it will be entirely different," Luna corrected.

"For the outdoors, I know," Serena nodded, but she heard Luna chuckle.

"If you only knew."

Hiding a frown, Serena placed on her beret and strolled over to the mirror. She tidied her a hair a little before taking a good look at her self.

"How do I look?" she twirled around.

"Like any other Girl Scout," Luna said simply.

Serena stopped twirling and fixed Luna with a frown, "I wish you'd be more enthusiastic."

"Apologies," Luna only shrugged, "When you've seen so many things for as long as I have, you hardly take notice anymore."

Serena was about to protest, then sighed. Luna was unpredictable at times, but she had never seen her this quiet.

"Are you okay, Luna?" she asked, "You haven't been yourself lately."

"I've just been thinking a lot lately," Luna paused, "Particularly about what you told me about Tuxedo Mask."

Serena's head snapped around at the mention of her hero's name, "Have you figured out what may have been wrong with him?"

Luna hesitated, "I have an idea, but I can't be certain. I'm not sure if you would understand if I explained it to you."

"Try me," Serena sat down on her bed.

Luna glanced at her, but shrugged, "Very well. It's possible that whoever Tuxedo Mask is may not be fully aware that he is Tuxedo Mask."

Serena frowned, "Not fully aware? What do you mean?"

"As I said, it's complicated," Luna took a breath, "When you told me about his sudden headache and his clothes flashing, it threw me into quite a predicament. This is something I've rarely encountered in my lifetime. Have you heard about people who have multiple personality disorder?"

"Yeah," Serena nodded.

"Well, this is more of less the same concept except it has to do with magical elements. I've been wondering why he hasn't revealed his identity even after all this time. When you told me about that incident at the tennis court, I realized that it was possible that the young man who is Tuxedo Mask is unaware of his secret alias, or heroic form, whatever you like to call it. Yet he always been at your side whenever you and the others, but especially you, are engaged in battle."

Serena thought back, "I remember after our battle at the airport he mentioned something about him also being a victim of '_that __terrible __day __when __the __Alliance __fell_'."

"Yes, that thought had occurred to me, too."

"He also said that his memories hadn't returned to him as well."

Luna shook her head, "I still can't figure out why he said that when it's not possible for somebody to remember that age from so long ago. He would have to be immortal, but even immortals are not invincible. No, my only conclusion is that it's someone who subconsciously wants to protect you above all else."

"_Protect __me?_" Serena straightened, startled, "You mean Tuxedo Mask wants to protect me from all danger?"

"Not Tuxedo Mask, for that is only an alias" Luna corrected, "What I mean is that man who _wears_ that outfit wants to protect you."

"But we don't even know who Tuxedo Mask really is! And judging by what he said, he probably doesn't know himself."

"Which is why he's became such a mystery to me since that night at the airport," Luna paused, "Serena, can you think of anyone who bores a resemblance to Tuxedo Mask? Even a slight one?"

Serena took a moment to think, then scolded as Raye's words came back to her.

"No," she snorted, "it can't be him."

"Beg pardon?"

"Remember that annoying guy I keep running into? The one named Darien?"

"Ah, yes," Luna grinned, "I remember."

"Well, back when we were at Dreamland me and Raye ran into him when we were trying to get to the Candy Palace. Raye said that he looked like Tuxedo Mask."

"And you don't think so?" Luna's grin widened.

"Of course not," Serena flushed, "How can a guy as mean as him be Tuxedo Mask? It just doesn't fit!"

"Actually," Luna suppressed a giggle, "I quite agree with Raye."

Serena jaw dropped, "You can't be serious."

"I got a good look at him when he saved me from being run over," Luna smiled, "Quite a handsome young man. He's definitely what I imagine Tuxedo Mask would look like without his mask."

Serena threw her hands up, "I don't believe this! Now _you've_ sided with Raye! But why are you asking me if I met anyone who looks like Tuxedo Mask?"

"For that very reason," Luna stated, "Think about it, Tuxedo Mask appeared on the exact same night you became Sailor Moon, correct?"

"Yeah," Serena nodded.

"Well then, if my theory is correct, the man who is Tuxedo Mask could only be someone that you've actually met before because in his subconscious he wants to protect you."

"You mean..." Serena voice trailed off, her mind now in a whirl, "You actually think that that guy Darien wants to protect me?"

"I'm not even certain if he is Tuxedo Mask," said Luna, "But it is a possibility."

Unable to stop the fluttering of her nerves, Serena stood and started pacing.

"No," she shook her head, "That's just not possible! We don't even _know_ each other! We've only met a handful of times and it always ends up in an argument. And will you stop _grinning_!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Luna's body began to shake with laughter.

"Well—because—he's," Serena slapped her hands onto her flaming face, "_Oh, __you're __impossible_!"

"Deny it all you want," Luna couldn't help chuckling, "but I think you're actually attracted to that young man."

"Yeah, right!"

"And I think he's become very interested in you because you're probably one of the few young ladies who actually stand up to him. All the other girls must swoon every time they see him. Raye certainly looked like she would."

"Well, she can have him for all I care!" Serena declared, although she didn't sound very comfortable with the thought, "And what makes you so convinced that he's Tuxedo Mask? You weren't even there when I first met him."

"Actually, I was," Luna paused, "If I remember right, you and Darien first met outside that jewelry shop your friend Molly lives in shortly before I met you."

Serena stopped and stared at her, stunned, "How did..."

"I followed you," Luna explained, "After you saved me from those spoiled little boys, I waited just outside your school until you came out and then followed you all the way back to your house. I have to admit, that was interesting love at first sight meeting between you and Darien."

"It was _not_ love at first sight!" Serena blushed, "Where on Earth are you getting these ideas from? We're not even attracted to each other! And even if he did ask me out on a date I would say no to him in an instant."

"Would you now?" Luna raised an eyebrow mockingly, obviously not convinced, "I seriously doubt that. I believe I mentioned that opposites do have a tendency to attract."

"There you go again," Serena slapped a palm to her face, "You said that before and I still don't believe it. You have no idea how much that guy annoys me."

"Which makes it even _more_ interesting," Luna chuckled again.

Serena gritted her teeth, "Will you please—"

"Serena!" Isabelle called from downstairs, "Breakfast is ready!"

Relieved, Serena stood and all but rushed to the door.

"I'm going downstairs before you embarrass me any further," she declared.

"I'll meet you at the park later," said Luna, "This is a vital part of your training and it requires a lot of work. So no goofing around or any of the kind. _Understand_?"

"Yes, ma'am," Serena nodded, hearing the warning in the cat's voice, "I'll be there with the others."

After the door closed shut, Luna took a moment to relish her amusement with Serena before her smile was replaced with sadness.

"So," she whispered, remembering back, "you're still in love with her after all this time, Prince Endymion. I hope it becomes a happy ending for you and Princess Serenity this time. I pray that it does."

* * *

**Shortly ****afterword, ****Isabelle ****dropped ****Serena** off at Little Falls Park. She found Amy and Raye standing beside each other, both dressed in uniform, and immediately joined them. Amy was just as excited as she was, but Raye wore a very smug expression and kept tugging at her uniform as if it was constantly itching her.

Around them was at least thirty other Girl Scouts in uniform. Most of them were younger than they were but there were a few that were around their age and older. They kept casting curious glances at them, obviously surprised to see three new recruits for their troop as their Scout Master Jennifer Garret came over to them.

"Glad to see you made it," she smiled, "Why so smug, Raye?"

Raye only glared at her, "I'm gonna kill my grandpa for this," she muttered.

"Now, now, none of that," Jennifer waved a finger and lowered her voice, "This is very important for your training as Sailor Scouts, as I am told. I promise you won't regret it one bit."

Raye didn't the least bit convinced, but kept quiet as Jennifer ordered them to follow her. She lead them through the other Girl Scouts before turning and gesturing them to her side.

"Everyone," she announced, "we have three new girls joining our troop. Serena Thomson, Amy Miles, and Raye Heinberg. Say hello to them, girls."

"Hello," they all said.

"You three will joining Millie's patrol," Jennifer pointed to a lovely girl with chocolate brown hair and bright green eyes who looked to be sixteen or seventeen, "Her patrol consist of girls that are around your age and a little younger. Therefore, you should be more comfortable while learning the ropes and not having to deal with the little ones."

"That will be great, Mrs. Garret," Serena nodded.

"Excellent," Jennifer smiled, "Millie, make sure you others help them out whenever they need it."

"Yes, ma'am," Millie smiled at the new trio of girls joining her patrol.

"Alright then," Jennifer clapped her hands, "Now that that's settled, I'll now be going over what we will be doing today," she cleared her throat and announced, "We're are going to be selling hotdogs and hamburgers for the visitors in this park, along with selling cookies."

She held up a hand when the girls started cheering.

"_First_ though," she continued, "I want two monkey bridges built so they entertain the little kids while we're serving food. Each will be built by a different group. One group will consist of Millie's and Casey's patrol, while the other will consist of Brianna's and Brenda's patrol. The group finishes first will be the ones running the food stand, while the others have to help the kids."

"_However_," she barked when the girls had started to rush forward in hopes of getting done first, "I want to see those bridges _properly_ built so that we don't have any accidents. Therefore, I want to see the right knots tied along with the right lashings. If I'm not satisfied with what I see, I will have you tear the whole thing down and you will have to start over again. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all said quickly.

"Good," she jerked her thumb behind her where two separate piles of ropes, wooden poles, and a net lay on the grass, "Everything you need is back there. Get to work."

For the next half hour Serena, Amy, and Raye learned a great deal about knots and pioneering, as it was called when building with ropes and wooden poles. Their first attempts were, of course, drastic but Millie and the other members of her patrol helped them without complaint.

A monkey bridge was simply an outdoor bridge that consisted of a pair of wooden trestles placed on both ends and a net spread from one end to the other. In the pioneering days of early America, the bridge was useful for crossing over streams and narrow rivers, and it became common practice for both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America to use the monkey bridge for the same purpose whenever going on major hikes.

When the other group raised their monkey bridge long before they had finished they nearly panicked because they had delayed the other girls, but Millie only smiled wickedly and told them not to worry.

Wondering why their patrol leader wasn't concerned, they watched as Jennifer came over and expected the strange bridge. First she looked over the knots and lashings, then at the way the poles were positioned, before she placed one finger on the contraption and gave it a simple little push.

The other group gasped in horror as their creation collapsed on itself, while Millie's group stared in shock and then turned away, struggling not to collapse with laughter. Millie motioned them to continue working while wiping tears from her eyes. Heartened by the other group's overconfidence that resulted in an epic failure, they continued working on their own bridge.

Meanwhile, Jennifer looked down at the wrecked bridge before she lifted her gaze to the other group who were staring at her with wide eyes as though they were expecting her to chew them out like an army staff sergeant.

"Untangled this mess, and do it correctly this time," she said calmly before she turned and walked away, leaving the other group to scramble in hopes of being finished first.

Serena and her friends soon learned their knots and a minute later they were ready to raise their own bridge. As soon the tripods were properly tied and lashed, they tied the net together and raised it. The other group paused as Jennifer came over to inspect their contraption. As she did before, she looked at the knots and lashings. Everyone held their breath as she pushed it with her finger.

The bridge held.

Jennifer tested it again and it didn't even move an inch. Then she smiled proudly and the girls let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Well done, girls," she said simply, "Go over and get the food stand ready.

Letting out a cheer, Serena and the others rushed over to set up the table while the other group glared at them but went back to work of their half built bridge, grumbling and cursing.

The park was quite crowded and they were selling hotdogs, hamburgers, and cookies almost by the dozen. Serena and Amy were enjoy themselves and Raye no longer seemed to be upset since she seemed to be smiling a lot more, but they could have been because she was only trying to be nice. They even got to know their fellow Girl Scouts in their patrol better as the day went on.

Millie, who's real name was Millicent, had been a Girl Scout since she was seven and had been the patrol leader for nearly a year now after their previous one had left along with two other girls. Serena and her friends addition to the patrol totaled the number of members to eight, making it equal to another patrol but had more younger girls in it.

Amanda was the same age as Serena and her friends, but taller. Her light brown hair was short and fashioned the same way as Amy's and her eyes were a much lighter blue. She was the assistant patrol leader and also an instructor for the younger girls.

The three other girls consisted of two twelve year-old black girls named Debra and Dorothy. They were twins and were always chatting on whatever subject they happened to be on. The third was an eleven year old girl named Evelyn with garnet-hued auburn hair and shining gray eyes. While she was very sweet she was also very shy. Amy knew on sight that she was a classroom geek due to the glasses she wore and took an immediately became friends with her, which seemed to make Evelyn very happy.

"Are any of you any good at writing?" Amanda asked suddenly some time later.

The girls looked at each other.

"Why do you ask?" said Raye.

"Our troop is in need of a scribe," Amanda answered, "Our last one left with along with our previous patrol leader. She was a really good story teller and we would always enjoy listening to her stories when we went out on camps. All of us miss her and the fun in our troop has become rather dull. Mrs. Garret wanted to know if any of you would be interested."

"Not me," Serena waved her hands innocently, "I can't even do well in my English class. And as much as I like stories, I don't really have the imagination needed to be a story teller. Sorry, but I'll have to pass."

"I'm good with writing," said Amy, "but only when it comes to school, like science and such. My apologies, but I'm afraid I'd make a terrible story teller."

The attention was then turned to Raye, who seemed to hesitate before answering nervously, "I'll do it."

Everyone stared at her, especially her two friends.

"Really?" Amanda nearly jumped with joy, "You'll do it."

"Well," Raye grimaced, "Let me think about it first. I just joined the Girl Scouts and I don't want to get too far ahead."

"That's okay," Amanda snatched her hand and shook it, "Take all the time you need. If you do become the scribe, we'll be very thankful. I'm sure all of us will be eager to hear your stories."

"Thank you," Raye gave a small smile, "I'm not sure if my stories will be all that... entertaining, but if I do become the scribe of the troop I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will," Minnie patted her on the shoulder with a smile, "Get to know the others first, then you can tell your stories."

Once Millie and Amanda went off to do a chore at Jennifer's bidding, Serena and Amy pounced on Raye.

"Well, this is unexpected," said Amy, "What's gotten into you?"

"Yeah," Serena smirked, "First you didn't want to have anything to do with the Girl Scouts, now you want to be their _Scribe_?"

"Please, you two," Raye waved, trying not to blush, "It's... complicated. I don't really understand it myself but..." she let out a huge sigh, "I know you may not believe this, but I've always had a secret ambition to be a writer."

Her friends blinked, surprised by Raye's new revelation.

"A writer, Raye?" asked Serena, obviously astonished.

"I think that's wonderful!" Amy beamed, "What kinds of stories would you like to write about?"

"Well," Raye hesitated, "With everything that has gone on in the past, the stories I want to write—tell—are..." she sighed, "I can't really tell you right now because I'm not certain what it is I'm feeling. I need to talk to... Grandpa about this. Can you wait a few days before I give you an answer."

Serena and Amy say the troubled look in her eyes and decided not to pursue the subject any further.

"Sure," Serena nodded.

"Tell us whenever you're ready," Amy smiled.

"Thanks," Raye smiled in return.

It was just closing on two o'clock when Jennifer finally called everyone together and told them to start packing away the tables and to take down the monkey bridges. Their fund raising project was over for over for today and they had earned a decent amount of money through their sales. The little children has also enjoyed being on the monkey bridges.

As everyone left to do their jobs. Jennifer approached Serena, Amy, and Raye and handed them a sheet of paper with directions written on it.

"We have a troop meeting every Wednesday at three o'clock," she explained, "Be sure to make there every week. If you can't make it, be sure to let me know whether by phone, friend, or whatever. I want to know _why_ you're not there when you should be."

"How long are the meetings?" Serena asked.

"Mostly an hour, maybe two depending on what we're doing," she grinned, "Don't worry, you'll have more than enough time to make it back to the cathedral for you training sessions. Speaking of which..."

She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before she stepped closer and lowered her voice so only they can hear.

"Luna is waiting for you in that large patch of trees, just behind my left shoulder shoulder."

At her gesture, the girls' gazes shifted to the spot where she had indicated, a small forest of trees right next to the lake.

"After we leave," she continued, "Make your way over to there. Be sure to walk over casually so you don't draw attention. Understood?"

Silently they nodded.

"Good," Jennifer straightened and raised her voice, "Alright, ladies. You know what to do. Now go over and help you fellow Scouts."

Grinning, they went back to their patrol and helped carry the fold up tables back to the vans while the other group placed the ropes and wooden poles into Jennifer's truck. The parents of the other girls soon started arriving and soon said their goodbyes. Serena and her friends waved to their new friends until they were all alone.

Acting casually, as Jennifer had suggested to them, they walked to where Luna was waiting, chatting about things teenage girls usually talked about. When the entered the trees, they felt a cold wave pass through them and they knew they must have passed through the magic barriers Luna always put up so they couldn't been or heard.

They glanced back just to make sure and an older man pass by, glancing right at them through the as though he was looking for something in the distance. A moment passed before he went on his way, apparently not noticing. Assured, the girls walked further into the trees.

* * *

**Luna ****was ****sitting ****quietly ****near** the lake when the girls came up.

"Good afternoon, ladies," she smiled, "I assume you've enjoyed your day so far?"

"Yes, we have, thank you," said Amy.

"Joining the Girl Scouts was actually a lot more fun than I expected," Serena grinned.

"How long have you been here, Luna?" asked Raye, apparently not wanting to admit just yet that she'd enjoyed being with Girl Scouts as much as the others had.

"Since this morning," Luna answered and stood, obviously not wanting to, "Let's begin with the next part of your training. You have your brooches with you?"

The girls pulled them out.

"Good. Go ahead and transform," she waited until they'd done so before she continued, "Today I am going to show the basics on how to perform underwater operations during missions."

"Underwater operations?" Amy said, while the others stared at her.

"Yes," Luna nodded, "You have learned and experience what it is like to operate on missions while on the surface. Now it is time for you to learn what it is like to operate in _beneath_ the surface, in this case underwater or other watery conditions. All of you can swim, correct?"

They glanced at each other again, "Yes."

"Can any of you swim well?"

"Yes."

"Have any ever dove underwater before? And I mean _deep_ sea diving."

All of them hesitated, "No."

At this Luna smiled, "Well then, today is a good day to learn. Today, I'm going to show a new suit that comes with your standard uniform. Place your hands on your brooch and say _Aqua __Synthesis_."

The girls looked at each other, but only shrugged and placed their hands on their brooches.

"_Aqua __Synthesis_!" they said.

The brooches came to life and they felt themselves transforming as light enveloped them again. When the light disappeared, they actually felt a bit heavier. Serena noticed it first and looked down. And gasped at what she saw, the others doing the same.

The main uniform had disappeared and was replaced by what looked like a mermaid version of it. The colors and design of the uniform were all the same, but were made out of completely different material clearly designed for diving. Instead of the special tear resistant cloth Luna mentioned, the suit was made out of tough scale like material and had light metal decorations placed at the chest, boots, and hands.

Their heads were completely encased in a metal helmet but their hair hung freely. The bowties were shaped like fins instead of their normal shape and their legs were completely covered instead a knee length stockings they normally wore. Their brooches and their weapons were all still in their normal places on their bowties.

"Whoa," Raye said first.

"At first I thought I turned into a mermaid," exasperated Amy.

"This is just too cool!" Serena actually felt like a mermaid.

"These are your Aqua Suits, or diving suits, as some would call them," informed Luna, "As you can see, these are used for underwater diving."

"How deep can we go in these?" asked Amy.

Luna grinned, "You can go even to the deepest parts of this world's oceans, or any ocean for that matter."

Amy stared at her, "You can't be serious! The weight of water per square inch, the body compression at those depth—"

"What you are now wearing," Luna continued as though she didn't hear Amy's protest, "is a piece of ancient technology. These suits are specifically designed for diving, whether shallow or deep. They automatically compensate for the water's and body compression at any depth."

"Wow," Raye looked at her suit again, "They can really do that?"

"_This_ is ancient technology?" Serena was stunned.

"Amazing," Amy was astonished, "We're eons away from creating something like this."

"Yes, it is fascinating," Luna said impatiently, "All your gear is still with you and yes, they are waterproof. Now, let's begin with the next part of your training."

It wasn't until now that they noticed a little gold metal and glass helmet, the size of Luna's head, was sitting on the grass right behind her.

"Hey," said Serena, "where did you get that?"

"I've had this with me since the very beginning of the Silver Millennium," Luna answered, "I had these made for me so I could help Sailor Scouts when I was with them underwater, whether it was for training or on a mission."

"I thought cats were afraid of water," said Raye.

"Normal cats are," Luna grinned, "But I'm no normal cat."

"Right," Raye rolled her eyes, "I forgot."

Sitting on her hunches, Luna picked up her helmet and placed it on her head. The way Luna's head was magnified through the glass and how awkward she looked made them want to laugh, but they pressed their lips closed as Luna adjusted the helmet.

"Can you hear me?" she said, except her voice was coming from a speaker on their right ear.

"Uh, yeah," Serena responded, confused as her friends were.

"Your helmets have radios inside of them," Luna returned, "When you're ready, tapped the head guards on your forehead and we'll proceed. Tapped it just like you would to bring up your scanners."

They tapped the metal bar that ran across their foreheads and a line of light came down in front of their faces. In the next moment their faces were covered in glass.

"Your face masks act just like your scanners in your normal uniforms," Luna went on, "Alright, go ahead and step into the water. Be ready to dive when I tell you to. Once I go underwater the magic barriers will disappear."

"Okay."

The suits were slightly heavy as they walked, but as soon as they were in the water they became much lighter. As they floated and got a feel for the suits, Luna stepped into the water and swan a little over to them.

"Ready?"

"Yes," they said eagerly.

"Alright, dive to the bottom and stay there. The fastest way to swim while is to kick your feet. Don't surface unless I tell you to. No need to take a breath either. Your suits provide you with an endless supply of air. We're going to be training in the deepest part of this lake so stay close, obey my instructions, and don't do anything foolish. We don't want to attract attention. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Very good. Let's dive."

Together they dove into the into the waters and for the girls it felt like they entering an alien world, just as their predecessors did during the Silver Millennium. They swam deeper into the lake, passing by several fish. Luna lead the way while the Sailor Scouts followed. Their face masks operated just like their scanners, picking up fish and other objects close by and far away. They even had sonar and were able to pick up some of the little tourist boats that were moving just above their heads

"Get a feel for the suits," Luna said, "We'll be there in a few moments."

Finally they came to flat spot that widened in all directions.

"Alright," Luna pointed down, "Stand on the bottom if you please."

When the girls tried to but couldn't she amended, "Just relax, hold your arms out, and let your feet hang freely. The weight of your boots will carry you to the floor."

They did as she instructed and in a moment their feet the soft dirt of the lake's bottom.

"Now," Luna was already on the floor as she looked up, "We're in the deepest part of the lake, so here's what you're going to be doing. First, let's try walking on the bottom," she swam a long distance from them, almost to the point they could just barely see her, and sat facing them, "Now, walk toward me."

At their first steps, the girls actually lost their balance and fell.

"Careful now," Luna warned, "You're still underwater. Take account of the weight of the suit and adjust your balance."

They did and adjusted, but were still moving at a very slow pace.

"How heavy _are_ these suits?" Raye complained.

"Not at all heavy," said Luna, "It's just that you're not quite used to them yet."

"Couldn't we just swim to you?" Serena suggested.

"That would be the simplest way to do it," Luna agreed, "However, I want you to get familiar with walking in these suits. Here's an suggestion. Do any of you know how NASA trains their astronauts?"

"Yes," said Amy, "They put them inside a large swimming pool because the weight of the water and the limit of mobility is almost exactly like that in outer space."

"Well said, Amy," Luna approved, "Instead of trying to walk, try hopping. Try not to push too hard when you hop. Just enough so you can gain some distance. Then hold out your arms again and let your feet hang freely."

Their first attempts caused them to float to far, but with some practice they were able to walk—hop—like the astronauts did when they had walked on the Moon.

"Excellent," said Luna once they reached her. She swam in the direction they had came and placed herself where they had started, "Do it again so you can get used to it," After a couple times going back and forth, Luna positioned herself again and said, "Here's what's next. I want you to use an energy burst to come toward me. Do this just like you would with an energy jump, but place like you are going to sprint to the finish."

The girls glanced at each other before they set their feet in the right positions. Charging up energy into their feet, they sprinted forward. Or rather they _glided_ forward. The instant the energy build up was released they shot through the water like a cannon and end up passing over Luna.

"No worries," said Luna when they tried to apologize, "I only wanted you to get familiar with using energy burst so you can _torpedo_ your way through the water. Let's do that a few more times so you can get some practice."

They spent the next few minutes improving on their energy burst and discovered that they could use it as a way of attack. The attack was like that of a torpedo.

"Alright," Luna called a halt, "For the last part of your training, take out your weapons."

Excited for some sword play, the girls drew their weapons. Sitting on the floor, Luna lifted her head the moon crescent on her forehead began to glow. Suddenly a group of fish like monsters armed with tridents appeared, startling them.

"Not to worry, ladies," she assured, "These are only illusions I'm creating with my powers. The worst they can do is frightened you."

"She did that on purpose," Serena grumbled.

"Did you say something, Serena?"

"Oh, nothing!" Serena said quickly, knowing full well Luna had heard everything.

"Good. Now attack the monsters you see. _Do not_ shoot at them. Even though that would be the simplest thing to do, there are still people up on the surface. Even if you hit the monsters, it's still an illusion, and the energy bolt could hit an innocent bystander on the surface. Begin."

The girls swam directly at the illusions as fast as they could, but before they could even raise their weapons the monsters veered away. They braced themselves for an attack but the monsters stayed where they were now.

"Not good enough, ladies," Luna's voice was highly disapproving, "You need to be much faster than that. Most sea monsters are much faster than humans. You need to learn how to counter that disadvantage of speed. Unlikely as it may be, there is a good chance in the future you'll be facing those kinds of monsters. Try again."

Another two attempts ended in the same results.

"Come on, now," Luna was starting to become very irritated and impatient, "Think! Use what I've just taught you! You should be able to figure it out."

It was Amy who realized what Luna was trying to tell them. She swam toward one of the monsters and charged up energy to her feet. The discharged made close the distance between her and the illusion much quicker than before. The monster had not time to react before Amy slashed it with her open boomerang.

"There you go!" Luna cheered, "Not you're figuring it out. Well done, Amy. Let's see if Serena and Raye can follow your example."

Serena and Raye did and and were happy that they finally hit their targets.

"Very good," said Luna, "Using an energy burst can give you a great boost of speed, which is very useful against sea monsters especially when you're facing them underwater. Most sea monsters are very fast in the water, but those who can also walk on land loose this ability."

"However," she went on, "I should also warn that doing a direct attack on a sea monster, even with an energy burst, won't always work since many of them are faster than any other being because the sea in their advantage. You should always try a flanking attack or use team work to defeat them. For the final part of your training for today, let's try doing that."

For the next ten minutes the girls took turns doing flanking moves and team attacks on the monsters. Luna drilled them again and again by making them go faster, adjusting to the situation, and having them attack the monster when they were moving at quick speeds.

"Well done, ladies," she said when she called a halt, "Your underwater skills are not perfect, but you've done enough to have me satisfied. That's it for today. Let's return to the surface."

Together they followed Luna back in the direction they came from. A few minutes later Luna stopped and held up a paw.

"Wait here while I check," she commanded and rose to the surface. They watched as her head emerged through the surface, her little body floating just above them, "All clear, wait until I put the barriers up."

Her entire body disappeared and a moment passed before she gave the signal to surface. They emerged and quickly got into the trees.

"How do we get out of these suits?" Serena asked, tapping off her face mask.

"Patience, Serena," said Luna as she used her powers to disperse her diving helmet back into her moon crescent, "Place your hands on your brooches again and say _Norma Synthesis_."

The girls did as she instructed and in a flash of light they were back in their normal Sailor Scout uniforms. Then they transformed back into their civilian clothes, or rather their Girl Scout uniforms.

"First a Sailor Scout uniform and now a Girl Scout uniform," Raye looked at herself, "Next thing we know we'll be wearing actually _military_ uniforms."

Luna chuckled, "That may be, Raye. That may be. Well, now you know how to swim and fight underwater while in your Aqua Suits. We'll have to find ways so that you will be able to practice while in them, but you have gotten down the basics so I am happy enough with your progress. That's all for today, ladies. You have the rest of the day off to do whatever you want but don't stay out too late."

"Thanks, Luna," they smiled.

"Don't thank me just yet," Luna stated, "Remember what I taught you today because it could save your life. I see you at home Serena."

When the girls walked out of the trees, Serena clapped her hands and said, "Well, now that that's over with, how about we pick up some ice cream over there?"

Amy agreed and so did Raye, but as they started to follow Serena something caught Raye's eye. She stared in disbelief. Then, seeing her chance, she walked over to the young man seated at the bench quietly reading.

"Hello," Serena said to the ice cream man, "Give us a moment please. Want do you want, Amy? It's on me."

"That's very kind of you," Amy smiled, "I'll just have a single scoop of French vanilla."

"Alright. What about... Raye? Where did she go?"

She looked around before she heard Amy say, "There she is. Is that Darien she's speaking with?"

"_What_?!" she whirled around and looked to where Amy was pointing.

A good distance away from them Raye was leaning over a park bench talking to a dark haired young man seated in it. She had to squint before she had to accept the fact that it really was Darien. Then she realized from Raye's behavior that she actually flirting with him rather than speaking to him. Before she could stop herself, Serena sprinted in their direction, her emotions now in a tangle. Amy gave a quick apologetic smile to the confused ice cream man before she took off after her.

"...in the Girl Scouts now?" Serena heard Darien say as she came to a stop a few yards behind the bench, Amy coming up beside her. Darien's head was turned away from her so he hadn't noticed her.

"Yeah, pretty cool, huh?" Raye grinned, apparently not noticing Serena as well.

"Aren't you bit old to be joining that outfit?" Darien asked, almost rudely.

"Nah," Raye ignored his tone, "It's been fun so far. Do you come her to study when you're out of school?"

"Sometimes," Darien stood, gathering his books and putting his glasses away, "I was just about to get something to eat when you came."

"Oh, great!" Raye came around the bench and grabbed his arm. Serena's jaw dropped and it appeared Darien was having trouble with clenching his own, "I haven't eaten lunch yet either."

"She ate three hamburgers earlier," Amy murmured, but Serena wasn't listening to her. Her eyes were locked at Raye as her friend looped her arm inside Darien's.

"Why don't go out and have lunch together?" Raye went on, "I know a nice Japanese restaurant nearby. Have you ever eaten Japanese food before?"

"Well," Darien hesitated, obviously not wanting to offend her, "n-no, but—"

"Perfect!" Raye started to pull him forward, "I can introduce you to it. After that, let's come back here to the park. It's a really nice park, you know. Perfect for a date."

Darien was completely trapped and couldn't do much of anything as Raye all but dragged him, placing her head on his shoulder as he was the love of her life. Serena only stared after them, completely speechless and unable to believe what she was seeing.

"_What in the world is she doing?!_" she finally screamed when they almost out of sight, "Does she have any idea how dangerous he is?!"

Amy frowned at her, "Serena, I don't think Darien is really a bad guy at all."

"Are you _kidding_ me?! He's the most arrogant, spoiled, and the biggest jerk I ever met! He'll take advantage of Raye and an instant and she'll be left with a broken heart. As much as Raye and I argue with each other, she deserves better. That guy is not for her and she should know better! Anyway, I better follow them!"

With that, Serena took off after them before Amy could say anything.

"Serena!" she called, but Serena was well on her way, "Oh, brother."

She heard a chuckle at her side, "Now _this_ has become rather interesting."

Startled, she looked down and saw Luna emerging from behind a trashcan.

"Luna?" she looked around to make sure no one was nearby and kept her voice low, "What are you still here? I thought you were going back to Serena's house."

"I was," Luna grinned, "But when I saw Raye going over to talk to Darien just as I was leaving, my curiosity got the better of me, especially when Serena came into the picture."

Amy grimaced, "I never Serena upset like this before."

Luna chuckled again, "She's just jealous, plain and simple."

"You think so?" at Luna's nod, Amy was taken back, "I didn't think she actually liked him."

"Oh, she does," Luna's eyes sparkled mischievously, "but she'll just shoot me before she admits it. And I think Darien likes her too, but won't say it partly because of his pride but also because Serena would never believe him."

"You really think that's the case?" asked Amy, still unable to believe it.

"Trust me, I've seen more relationships start off like this than I care to count. Raye better be careful if she doesn't want to get caught in the crossfire between those two."

Amy paused to think, then shrugged, "Well, now that both of them have abandoned me, I'll go ahead and buy that ice cream myself before I go over to see a friend of mine."

"You do that, but don't stay out for too long," Luna looked in the direction where Serena was following both Raye and Darien from ten feet behind and grinned, "I'm going to follow them. I'm eager to see how this turns."

With that, Luna took off in the same direction Serena had taken. Amy stared after her, but only shrugged again and went back to the ice cream stand.

"Is your friend having a jealous fit?" the man asked with a grin as he began to scoop her order.

"Yeah," Amy sighed, "And supposedly she doesn't even like that guy."


	4. Chapter 18 Of Dates and Druids

**Chapter****18**

Of Dates and Druids

Serena was finding it increasingly difficult to be patient _and_ to stand still. She had followed Raye and Darien out of the park and into town as close as she possibly dared. Whenever they stopped or turned she would immediately hide behind whatever she could find. Passing pedestrians would stop and stare at her strange behavior, but she gave them no notice.

All that matter was rescuing Raye.

_Or was it?_

Serena didn't know what annoyed her more, Raye's sudden interest in her nemesis or that her nemesis was paying attention to Raye instead of _her_. She blinked. Why would Darien Shields, handsome as he was, pay any attention to her when all they did was argue?

She shook her away her illogical thoughts as she saw the couple go into the Japanese restaurant Raye had indicated and groaned when she saw the sign that carried the name of the restaurant. _Of course_ Raye would have to choose one of the most expensive restaurants in the city.

Quickly she checked her wallet to make sure she had enough money. Barely. She debated whether to go in or to wait until her _friend_ with her date came back out. Inside, she saw Raye and Darien being lead by a waitress and were seated almost in front of her near the window. The way Raye's face was beaming was making her teeth grind.

"_So_," said a voice beside her, "You _don't_ really mind if Raye takes Darien as her boyfriend, am I right?"

Serena jumped, covering a shriek with her hand as she looked around but saw nobody there. She looked down and saw Luna sitting beside her feet, looking up at her with a huge grin on her face.

"Luna?!" realizing there were people around her, Serena knelt and pretended to pet the cat, "What are you doing here?" she whispered, "I thought you were going back to my house."

"I was," said Luna, "But when I saw you chasing after the guy you liked, my curiosity got the better of me."

"He's not some guy I like!" Serena went red, "And don't you start this again. I'm here because Raye's in danger."

"Are you now?" Luna raised an eyebrow, "It seems to me Raye's perfectly alright. Darien is a man of honor. He doesn't strike me as the type who would take advantage of Raye. And before you protest, I think you should know that you're acting out of simple jealously."

"I'm not jealous!" Serena fought to keep her voice low, "I'm just trying to..." she stopped when she saw Raye laugh over something Darien obviously said, "Oh, I wish I could here what they were saying."

"Why would you care," Luna mocked, "If you're so interested in Darien?"

Serena only ignored. Then an idea struck her.

"I know!" she pulled out her brooch, "I'll transform, then I'll disguise myself as a waitress, and then—"

"_No, you don't_," Luna said in a dangerous voice and placed a paw on Serena's hand where she held the brooch, flexing her claws a little and making the girl wince, "If you intend to use the powers given to you by Avon for trivial reasons such as this, you can give me that brooch right now and I will give it to someone else who _will_ use it responsibly."

The glare that Luna gave following that warning made Serena flinch. She knew well enough by now to not take Luna lightly when she spoke, threat or otherwise. Quickly giving an apology, she placed the brooch back into her pocket.

"Alright," she muttered, then flinched again when saw Raye laugh again over another comment Darien made, "This is really starting to tick me off! Why did she have to choose—"

"Serena?" said a new voice behind her, "What are you doing?"

Cutting off a another shriek, she turned to see Melvin crouched behind her.

"And why are you wearing a Girl Scout uniform?" he added, peering at her curiously.

"Melvin..." she started to retort, then an idea struck her. Melvin was the last person she wanted to see, but he provided the perfect excuse she needed. She scooted backward and whispered into Melvin's ear, "Hey, Melvin, you have some money on you, correct?"

"Yeah," Melvin nodded, "Why?"

"Well," she grinned, "I want to go to this restaurant, but I don't have enough money. So why don't you take me inside and have lunch in this restaurant together?"

"_What_?!" Melvin honestly couldn't believe his ears while Luna had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping, "But... I thought you hated Japanese food."

Serena blinked, remembering that she actually wasn't very fond of Japanese dishes.

"I decided to start trying it for real," she declared

"But I've already eaten lunch."

"Not to worry," Serena stood and pushed him into the restaurant, "We'll just have something light."

"Well... okay," Melvin returned nervously before they disappeared inside, leaving Luna to stare after them.

"I honestly can't understand that girl sometimes," she said to herself, then snorted, "What I am saying? _All_ teenage girls act like that when it comes to their first crushes."

She debated whether of not to stay and wait until Serena, Raye, and Darien walked out, but then her gaze traveled back toward the park where she had came from and a frown formed on her face. Something had disturbed her senses while she had been waiting for the girls to finish on their first Girl Scout project. She couldn't be certain, but she could have sworn felt something like a growing amount of energy.

After sitting for a full minute Luna made her way back to the park, hoping that she actually wrong for once.

* * *

**Inside the restaurant, Serena kept** glancing over her shoulder. She'd been able to pick a seat that was reasonably close enough to Raye and Darien, but because of the busy restaurant she still couldn't hear what they were saying. She'd ordered a sushi appetizer to keep her occupied and to avoid suspicious glances, and keeping her gaze away from Melvin, but she was hardly eating.

Over on the other table, Raye had actually asked Darien for a date for a different reason than the usual one. She was absolutely convinced that Darien was Tuxedo Mask because the thought had never left ever she first noticed the similarity back as Dreamland Park. Regardless of what Serena might think, Darien's personality fitted with Tuxedo Mask's to the core.

When she saw Darien sitting at the bench at the park earlier, she couldn't believe her luck. As she'd walked over to him, she decided to embark on a mission to discover if Darien really was Tuxedo Mask.

"So what high school do you go to?" she asked, starting up a conversation.

"The British School of Washington," Darien answered blatantly as he sipped his green tea.

Raye brought her gaze up, "Really? That's only a mile from the school I go to, National Cathedral."

"Ah," Darien nodded, "Nice school."

"It is," Raye smiled, "It's only a five minute walk from where I live."

Darien suddenly lifted his gaze and looked at her thoughtfully, "Do you happen to be related to Bishop Heinberg of the Washington National Cathedral?"

"He's my grandfather," Raye returned curiously, "Why?"

"I thought you looked familiar when I first saw you at Dreamland Park with your friend. I remember seeing a picture of you with your grandfather in the newspaper when he was placed as Arch Bishop at the cathedral."

"Oh, yeah," Raye laughed, "That was about six months ago just after we moved here. We were getting well established when that incident with the disappearing buses nearly drove us out of town."

"I remember hearing about that. That must been tough on your grandfather, all that pressure and stuff. I honestly felt sorry for you two."

"Thank you," Raye smiled, blushing a little, "But it was mostly me who dealt with the idiots who kept barging in and accusing us of kidnapping there daughters. I can't tell how many times I lost my temper."

"I can imagine that," Darien agreed, "You look like the sort who's got the fearful temper."

"Part of the curse of having gypsy blood, "Raye shrugged, "As Serena would tell you."

Her curiosity pricked when she saw Darien brief pause from his next bite of his food at the mention of Serena's name. She waited as he resumed eating before he asked, "Tell me, how did you become friends with Meatball Head?"

Raye laughed, because was quite taken back by the unexpected question.

"Well," she started, "It was actually quite an interesting meeting. The first time I met Serena was when those very disappearances were going on. I was... so desperate to stop the rumors I accidentally hit Serena with my cross."

Darien choked, almost spitting his tea out over the restaurant carpet, "You did _what_?"

"Yeah," Raye shrugged matter-of-factly, "She was visiting the cathedral with a couple friends of hers when we giving out good luck charms as part of charity. Anyway, I didn't hurt her bad but I took her inside just in case. She accepted my apology and we became friends. She later introduced me to our other friend, Amy."

"Wow," Darien laughed, "That must an interesting meeting."

"Yep," Raye grinned, "Since then we've been good friends, despite the arguments we get into. But tell me, why do you tease Serena all the time and call her 'Meatball Head'? Although I do agree she's like that sometimes."

She saw Darien pause again before he shrugged and said, "We've always been like that ever since we first met. Even then we didn't know each others names until I saved her cat in front of the arcade center, as you might remember."

Raye nodded.

"Anyway, I don't why we irritate each other so much. Sometimes I wish we can just be nice to each other for once, instead of arguing all the time."

"Why's that?" Raye couldn't help asking.

"Well... because..." Darien let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't why, but she reminds me of... something. Something I just can't place. I don't if it's a dream or a memory, but every time I see her it triggers it. And every time I try to figure out what it is it goes away the next instant. It bugs me so much because I thought I fully recovered from my amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Raye stared, surprised by this new unexpected revelation.

"Yeah," Darien said sadly, "After the accident."

"Accident?" Raye felt her mind whirl, "I remember Andrew mentioning that your parents were killed in an accident—" she clapped a hand onto to her mouth, realizing she had gone a little to far.

"So you asked Andrew about me, huh?" said Darien.

"I'm sorry," Raye suddenly felt sick, "I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," Darien waved, "It doesn't bother me. Andrew told you that my parents killed in an car accident, but he didn't tell you that I was with them."

Raye stared at him, unable to believe what she hearing, "How old were you?"

"Five. We were returning from a county fair and it was late. Whether it was because of a drunk driver or something else I never knew because I was sound asleep. The car lost control and went off a cliff. It was really bad. Both my parents were killed but miraculously I survived. When I woke up in the hospital I couldn't remember anything other than my name."

"I'm so sorry," said Raye, "You must have been very frightened."

"I was," Darien sipped his tea, "My dad had grown up as an orphan and my mom's parents wouldn't accept me simply because they greatly disapproved my dad. However, my great uncle, who came from my mother side of the family, took me in regardless of their protests."

"That was very kind of him."

Darien nodded, "His brother and her sister-in-law never spoke to him again after that, but he was already at odds with them long before. In fact, he supported my mom when she decided to marry my dad."

"He must be a very good man."

"He is," Darien's eyes sparkled with pride, "I was very fortunate to him come to my aid. It could have been worse for me, raised in an orphanage like my dad was or worse with my grandparents. He's very wise and strong, even though he doesn't look like it. You should meet him sometime, he'll remind you a lot of Captain Jean Luc-Picard from _Star Trek_."

"Andrew said that he that teaches English at UDC."

"He does," Darien nodded, "He used to teach English at my school before he was offered the position at UDC."

"Have you lived here all you life?"

"No," Darien shook his head, "I was born in the New York countryside and live there with my parents until the accident. Great uncle has lived in DC for most of his life, so it was only natural for me to move here."

"Must have been tough, suddenly living in the big city."

"Not really. I'll admit, I was very nervous on my first day of school here and that's where I met Andrew. We've known each other since we were little and have remained good friends since then. Thanks to Andrew, I was able to move on after the accident and my memory slowly came back. Not that there was much to remember anyway."

"Until you met Serena," Raye said before she realized it.

"Yeah," Darien shook his head, "I just don't get it. Every time I see Serena if feels like I've known her before. And that's what bugs me so much. I don't recall ever meeting her anywhere before until we actually met over a mouth ago. I guess it's just because she... I don't know, interesting."

Raye stared at him, suddenly at a loss for words. Either her eyes were deceiving her or she could have sworn she saw a faint line of a blush on Darien's cheeks. Not only had he used Serena's christian name, but he'd also found her interesting.

_Good heavens_. Did Darien actually have a _crush_ on Serena, of all people?!

"Are you finished?" Darien interrupted her thoughts as he finished his tea. The waitress had set down the bill several minutes ago.

"Oh, yes," she said quickly and stood.

Serena turned away and pretended to be reaching for something as they passed by. She then lifted her head just enough to see Darien actually paying for the meal before he and Raye walked out of the restaurant together. Her gaze rested on the window long enough to confirm that they were indeed walking back to the park. She took a few moments before she glanced at her watch.

"Oh," she gasped, bringing up Melvin's attention, "Is that the time?! I'm sorry Melvin but I have to go."

"You do?" Melvin sounded heartbroken.

"My mom's expecting me home soon," she explained and placed a ten dollar bill on the table, "Here, that should help pay for the meal. Thank you for helping taking to this place. I'll see you on Monday."

"Uh... okay," Melvin waved goodbye, but he still looked heartbroken, "See you."

As she left the restaurant she felt rather guilty for having used Melvin that way. While she never had any romantic feelings for him and he obviously did, he was a good kid. Right now, however...

She searched around the street and saw Darien and Raye already on the other side. Once more, Raye had her arm wrapped around Darien's, obviously enjoying herself again. Once more, Darien looked uncomfortable, but stayed the gentleman. Once more, Serena followed them, determined to keep Raye from certain danger.

* * *

**Meanwhile, Luna was growing more** and more frustrated. She had all but tore up the entire park trying to discover the energy burst she was certain she had felt. But everywhere she looked revealed nothing. Finally giving up, she started to walk in a direction that went out of the park when she saw Amy walking by herself.

"Amy!" she called.

The girl stopped and smiled as Luna leaped up and curled up around her shoulders.

"Hello, Luna," she said.

"How come you're still here Amy? I thought you would have went home by now."

"I was, but..." Amy's voice trailed off and it was then Luna noticed the sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed, "You look like you're about to cry."

"I'm..." Amy body shook as she fought back the tears.

"Talk to me, Amy," Luna soothed, "Let's go sit down on that bench over there."

Once Amy sat, Luna leap down and waited for Amy to explain her sudden feelings.

"I went to look for my friend, Mr. Oliver, after out training session," Amy began, "He's the main caretaker of the park and a long time friend of my mother and I."

"And?" Luna waited patiently.

Amy took a breath, "When I found him, he wasn't himself. He was completely rude to me. He kept telling me to leave, and he even looked like he wanted to kill me. I couldn't reason with him so I left before I made things worse."

A disturbing thought struck Luna, but she held her tongue and said, "Has he ever been like this before? Especially with you?"

"No!" Amy shook her head, "He's one of the most kindest men you'll ever meet. All the people I've met that know him will tell you the same thing. He wasn't like this yesterday. I mean, he gave me a pot of bluebells from a flower bed for me."

"I see," Luna nodded.

"The things he said," Amy wiped away a tear that had finally fallen, "I just can't believe he would say things like that."

"What did he say exactly?"

"He said that I should never come back here, and that us humans don't have the right to enjoy nature when all we do is destroy it."

This time, Luna felt her blood turn cold. She had heard those words before, said in many different ways but all had the same meaning. While she may have heard environmentalists in this world say similar things about the human race and their effect on nature, she had heard it on many different worlds across the galaxy by a different group of people during her time. Hearing them again brought a disturbing suspicion, one she hoped wasn't true.

"Luna?" said Amy, but she didn't look up, "What is it? I've seen that look before."

Luna took a moment answering, "What you've just told me, especially your friends words, has suddenly made me very concerned. Amy, did you happen to sense any strange energy emitting from your friend?"

Amy blinked, "No. I was so focused on meeting him and I didn't think to sense anything."

"That's unacceptable, Amy," Luna frowned disapprovingly, "As a Sailor Scout, you should be alert with your senses at all times even in friendly territory."

"I'm sorry," Amy sighed, "But what does this have to do with Mr. Oliver?"

"It may have everything to do with him," Luna threw aside caution, "Did you happen to hear anything unusual happening in the park when you were walking around?"

Amy thought for a moment, "Come to think of it, I did. Shortly after you guys left, I was eating my ice cream when I overheard a couple guys talking about the construction team getting attack last night."

"Construction team?" said Luna, "I remember seeing some construction equipment across the lake when I waiting for you."

"Yes," Amy nodded, "We were here yesterday afternoon and Mr. Oliver told us they building a seafood restaurant."

"Who attacked them?"

"This is where it gets strange. Apparently, they were attacked by animals."

"_Animals_?" echoed Luna, feeling her heart stop.

"Yes," Amy nodded again, "but nothing big. Only birds, butterflies, and squirrels. None of the workers were seriously hurt, but the instruments on their equipment were completely destroyed. Park officials have no idea why the animals attacked them all of a sudden."

Luna stood up, "Get up, Amy. And call Serena and Raye. I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen in the park at any moment."

"What do mean?" Amy stood and pulled out her cell phone, "You can't possibly believe that Mr. Oliver is responsible for the attack."

"Actually, I do," Luna added quickly, "But I don't believe he's doing it voluntarily."

"You mean..."

"Yes," Luna nodded, "The Dark Kingdom is controlling him using a creature that uses nature to her advantage."

"Oh, no," Amy paled.

"If you want to save him, then get a hold of Serena and Raye before it's too late."

Amy quickly composed herself and dialed the number of her friends. A few minutes she closed her cell phones.

"I can't seem to get a hold of them," she said, "I'm getting no ring tones, only their answering machines. They must have turned off their cell phones."

Luna cursed and muttered, "It's because of that blasted date," she leaped up onto Amy's shoulders again, "I overheard Raye saying that she wanted to come back into the park with Darien after lunch, so it's likely they're here now with Serena following them. We'll have to go look for them and hopefully find your friend in the process."

The minutes slowly passed by as they searched around the park for Serena and Raye, but could find no sight of them anywhere. Even Mr. Oliver seemed to have disappeared. Just when they beginning to think it was hopeless and would have to deal with the situation on their own they saw Serena, grumbling and obviously upset.

"Serena!" Amy ran to her, "There you are. What's wrong?"

"It's that Raye!" Serena raged, "I can't believe her! What does she see in Darien?! I followed them all over the place waiting to rescue Raye in case the worse happens, but of coarse it doesn't! Now they're on a rowboat in the middle of the lake and I can't follow them! Ugh!"

Luna, however, wasn't amused.

"This isn't the time for that, Serena!" she snapped, "Have you seen the park main caretaker?"

"Mr. Oliver?" Serena blinked, "No, why?"

"Serena," said Amy, "He's not himself. I met him earlier and looked like he wanted to kill me. Luna and I think he may be under control of the Dark Kingdom, just like that tennis girl."

Serena stared, her ranting suddenly forgotten, "Are you cer—"

Suddenly she stiffen, her friends doing the same as they all felt the sudden surge of energy flowing from somewhere.

"Did you feel that?" she said.

"I did," nodded Amy, "But where?"

"It's coming in that direction," Luna pointed behind Amy with her head, "And it's growing."

Then they started hearing people screaming in the distance.

"Oh, no," Amy went pale.

"That can't be good," Serena agreed.

"Everyone transform," ordered Luna, "We need to get there now."

"What about Raye?" asked Amy as she and Serena reached for their brooches.

Luna shook her head, "We'll have to make due without her. Hopefully, if she's paying attention, she would have sensed it too."

* * *

**During that time, over on **the lake, Raye was enjoying the view as Darien rowed the boat.

"I never realized how nice this lake was," said Darien.

"It is," Raye agreed, "If Amy hadn't shown us yesterday or if we hadn't been with the Girl Scouts today, we might never have known about it."

"So you're really are in the Girl Scouts," Darien nodded at her uniform as he continued rowing.

"Yeah," Raye shrugged, "My Grandpa kind of forced me into it."

"Aren't you little too old for that kind of thing?"

"I said the same thing," Raye laughed, "but Grandpa wouldn't accept that as an excuse. From what I know Serena and Amy didn't have much of a choice either. 'It was time you girls did something useful' they all said."

Darien chuckled.

"So," Raye went on, "we all joined at the same time today was our first day."

"What did you do?"

"We built monkey and held up a lunch stand for the visitors as a charity project."

"Ah," Darien nodded approvingly, "That's a good start."

"Were you in the Boy Scouts?" Raye asked curiously.

"No," Darien shook his head, "but my great uncle and I have done a lot of camping and hiking. We even hiked in California once. He's taught a lot about the outdoors and how to survive in those conditions."

"Wow," Raye's eyes widened, "From what you me before I didn't think your great uncle was the outdoor type."

"Neither did I when I first moved in with him," Darien chuckled again, "But I'm thankful that he is because it help me move on from the past."

"That's nice," Raye sighed, "In some ways you've had it easier than I have."

Darien lifted his brows, "How so?"

"My mother died when I was very young and my father left me because he thought his business was more important than raising a daughter."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. You don't know how frustrating it is for me sometimes. A part of me wants to know who my father was, but at the same time another part wants to have nothing to do with him."

"I understand the feeling," Darien nodded, "Some things are not easy to let go."

Suddenly he flinched, almost painfully, and then held his head as if he was having a big headache.

"Darien?!" Raye leaned forward, alarmed, "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he said, lifting his head.

"No it wasn't nothing!" Raye nearly screamed, "You were in pain."

"It's alright," he insisted, "I'm fine."

"But—"

Suddenly they heard people screaming in the distance. As they glanced to the right side of the rowboat they saw a flock of birds coming straight at them, screaming like a million banshees going off at once.

"What the?!" Raye gasped.

"Look out!" Darien dove forward to shield her with his body.

The boat began to rock as the bird passed over them and eventually capsized, sending them into the depths. The sudden shock of the cold water caused Raye to black out, but she soon regained consciousness when she felt Darien's strong arms catch her, keeping her from sinking as he kicked to the surface. They came up on the surface gasping for breath, expecting the birds to attack them, but the flock had disappeared.

"Are you alright?" Darien gasped.

"Yeah," she returned, "Why did those birds attack us all of a sudden?"

"I don't know," Darien said quickly, "But we need to get to that pier over there. Can you swim?"

"Yeah."

"Then come on."

It seemed like agonizing hours, but in a few minutes they were lying on the solid wood of the pier, exhausted and out of breath.

"Are you okay?" Darien asked again.

"Yes, I'm fine," Raye struggled to sit up, "But you weren't."

"I'm okay," Darien forced a smile, "It was nothing serious."

"All right," Raye returned a smile. Then she glanced into the tree before and reached out with her senses. And immediately the powerful surge of energy coming from a certain area around the park.

_So that's what it is,_ she thought angrily, "Darien, stay here. I'm going to get some help."

Before Darien could stop her, she was gone.

* * *

**Serena and Amy, now in** there Sailor Scout uniforms, ran toward the source of where the energy was still growing. When they came and opened patch between the trees, they gasped in horror.

All over the patch were people, men, women, and children, being held by gigantic plants. Some were in groups while others were by themselves. Several more people were being attacked by small animals and birds. And in the middle of it all stood Mr. Oliver, smiling gleefully at the sight he created.

"Mr. Oliver!" Amy cried, her voice hoarse, "What are you doing?!"

"That isn't Mr. Oliver," said Luna as the caretaker turned to them, "This is the work of a druid. She's obviously controlling him."

"More humans, I see," Mr. Oliver said in a voice that wasn't his, the energy was spewing from him visibly, "It's time that you pay for you crimes against nature!"

The energy flowed out of him and the spirit possessing his hat left him. Amy stared in horror as her friend collapsed to the ground, his hair now white and his features both frail and pale. The spirit settled on the ground and took human form. A moment later that a woman dressed in white appeared.

She was tall and slender, the white dress designed to be seductive with its slits on its sides and open stomach. Her skin was tan and her hair looked like a wig of green ivy that flowed down her back. Her features were elegant but very sharp and elflike. As she turned her head and regarded the two Sailor Scouts before her, there was no mistaking the hatred burning in her red eyes.

"You are Sailor Scouts," she said in a husky voice, "The very bane for our existence."

"And for good reason," Serena raised her wand.

"How dare you do this?!" Amy screamed, "Using nature to harm others is unforgivable!"

Serena stared at her. She had never seen Amy upset like this before. The way her features were contorted, the way her teeth were set, and the way her eyes flashed with anger, was all frightening. And it was because the druid had made the fatal mistake of harming one of her dearest friends.

"Humph," said the druid, "You humans are all alike. Every world you touch becomes stained with your greed and power, pathetically hoping to better yourselves by destroying others."

"We may have our bad history," returned Serena, "But at least we take responsibility for it and move on from the past."

"Nature will run its own coarse whether or not civilization exists," Amy declared, "I won't let you use it to hurt others regardless of your insane reasons."

With that, she raised her closed boomerang and shot at the druid. The druid only raised a hand and several tree trunks rose from the ground like snakes, twisting around and shielding the druid. The energy shot glanced impacted harmlessly against. The girls stared in shock as the trunks slithered back down into the ground.

"A useless attempt," she said, "Your powers are no match for the powers of nature. Allowing to introduce myself before you die, Sailor Scouts. I am the druid Petasos, a protector of nature and servant to the Dark Kingdom. Behold my power, for it will be the last thing you will see. Creatures of this forest, eradicate them."

At her order, the animals that had been attacking the people not held by plants came straight at them. Amy, however, wasn't phased as she raised her arms to perform a spell.

"_Caliginosus Aspergo!_"

Fog appeared across the patch and the animals somehow lost consciousness. Amy turned on her scanner and immediately tracked down the druid using heat detection.

"She's over there!" she pointed and began shooting. Serena quickly joined and fired several salvos. Then the fogged lifted and they saw that the druid was unharmed.

"Is that the extent of you're abilities," she laughed harshly, "What a disappointment. Perhaps I should motivate you to do better."

"Be careful," Luna warned, "Druids rely their power on nature. So keep an eye on the ground at all times."

"She won't stop me!" Amy began to take aim again.

Serena placed a hand on her arm.

"Amy," she whispered, "Calm down. We have to work together on this."

Before Amy could say anything, something green and plant like ball struck Serena dead center in the chest. She stared in shock as the ball unraveled and wrapped around Serena's arms and legs, causing her to lose her balance and collapse. Enraged, she turned her gaze back to the druid and was about to attack when she felt something crawling up her legs.

Looking down, she gasped in horror when she tree roots trapping her feet and legs. She had not chance to escape as the roots entrapped her body, squeezing painfully. Her weapon fell from her hand as she struggled to breath. Petasos came over to her, smiling in glee.

"It seems you have a personal vendetta against me," she said, "That old man must be very special to you. I'll see to it that you join him shortly as I squeeze the life out of you."

"Sailor Mercury!" Serena struggled against the bounds of the plant wrapped around, but they held so tight she couldn't even clench her right fist to summon her watch's knife. Even Luna couldn't help her because every attempt she tried she knocked back by another vane.

"_Inflammo Pectus_!"

A fire ball struck the bottom of the roots surrounding Amy. Petasos screamed and jumped away. The roots disappeared into the ground as Raye landed beside Serena and quickly cut the plant bounds.

"You okay?" said Raye as she helped Serena up.

"Yeah," Serena gasped, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Raye turned her gaze at the druid, "So she's the one who ruined my date!"

"That's not the worse of it," Amy said angrily, "She used and harmed Mr. Oliver. I won't let her get away with this!"

"Don't let your anger get the better of you, Amy," Luna warned.

"Let's take her down!" Serena summoned a crystal blade and they charged.

But their attacks soon proved to be useless. Every attempt they made was blocked by wooden barrier. Blades, arrows, and energy bolts could never find their mark at the druid. Even their elemental spells had little effect. Every barrier they destroyed another three took it's place. Finally they had to stop due to their exhaustion.

"She's tough," Serena gasped.

"How are we going to defeat her?" Raye asked the inevitable question.

"You cannot," said Petasos, "However, why don't we make this interesting?"

Her red gaze rested on Amy. Then she raised her hands and two balls of green vines appeared and threw themselves at Serena and Raye. Because of their energy wasted trying to defeat the druid, neither of them had a chance to dodge and the vines wrapped around themselves around them. Amy stared as her friends collapsed and she found herself facing the druid alone.

"You want to save your dear old man," she said, "I can see it in your eyes. Well then, let us duel so you can save him. You know I hold his energy and that he may not survive without it."

Amy stared at her, but her eyes narrowed as she accepted the druid's challenge with that very look.

"I will defeat you," she declared, "But not just for my friend and myself, but for those you've also harmed."

"Well said, Sailor Mercury," said a voice.

A red rose streaked across and cut the bounds holding Serena and Raye. As they brushed off the vines and stood, Tuxedo Mask came to their side.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Serena beamed.

"Thank you," Raye raised her bow, "Come on, we need help Mercury."

"No," said Tuxedo Mask.

"_What_?" Raye stared at him.

"This is Sailor Mercury's fight," he announced.

"What do you mean?" Serena stared at him as well.

"Tuxedo Mask is right," said Luna, "The druid directly challenged Sailor Mercury and she accepted. This is her fight now and she must fight alone."

"Sailor Mercury," Tuxedo Mask called, "Druids use the power of nature. Use that against her."

Amy suddenly understood what he was saying and nodded. The druid yawned, as if bored, as she waited for her to attack. When she did not move, Petasos became impatient and made the first move.

As soon as she felt the vines beginning to grow beneath her feet, Amy energy jumped high into the air and shot at the druid, only to be blocked by a wooden barrier. The druid had been had expecting that attack, but she wasn't expecting the next move.

Amy had deliberately aimed at Petasos's face. As soon it was blocked, she opened her boomerang, charged up energy at her feet, and flew through the air directly at her. When Petasos lowered the barrier, she was shocked to shocked to see the Sailor Scout flying right at her with her blade raised. She ducked just in time to prevent the blade from taking of her head, instead taking a few strands of her ivy hair instead.

However, Amy hadn't expected that attack to work. As soon as she flew over the druid, closed her boomerang. As she soon as she landed on her feet, she turned and fired again. The bolt was again blocked, but she was far from finished. She began running in circles, firing salvo after salvo at the druid.

Petasos soon became furious at the way Amy was toying with her and swung a large wooden vine at her. Amy summoned her shield and took the full force of the blow. She flew backwards, but landed perfectly on her feet. Then the druid flung another pair of plant balls but she shot them down before they were even close to her.

Then she did something no one expected her to do. She took aim and charged her boomerang heavily with energy. This time, the salvo was delivered in hundreds of little energy particles, the boomerang firing like a machine gun and making a spectacular but deadly sight. While the little particles had little destructive power compared to the normal salvo, the effect of hundreds at once was still devastating.

The druid had no choice but to defend herself with wooden, even as the energy particles slowly shredded it. When the shooting finally stopped, there was very little left of the barrier but Petasos was still unharmed. She looked up, expecting the Sailor Scout to attack again directly at her, but found she was nowhere in sight. Then she felt a presence above and raised her head.

There was Amy high above her, charging up energy to unleash a elemental spell. A fireball came spiraling down and the druid screamed, shielding herself with another wooden barrier. When the spell dissipated, she was covered in soot. Amy landed a short distance in front and, enraged, she rose a pair of razor sharp pointed roots from the ground and they they slivered directly at the Sailor Scout.

Amy let them come at her until they were almost directly upon. Then she jumped onto one branch and onto the other, skipping to and fro and bringing her closer to the druid. Then she energy jumped off the branch in a flying kick.

Petasos snarled and raised a branch to protect her face, but Amy didn't stop herself. She let her momentum carry and her kick landed on the branch, the force pushing hard enough to hit Petasos in the face. The impact sent the druid flying off her feet, landing on the grass with a dull thud.

Holding hand to her broken bleeding nose, her eyes flashed with hatred. Amy only stood in a Kung Fu stance, calm and composed, taunting her adversary with two fingers.

Petasos then saw that she still had her summoned roots. They had collapsed onto the ground when she lost her control after being kicked. She quickly saw her advantage. Hiding a smirk, she pretended to let out a shriek of rage and jumped to her feet. At the same time, the roots rose and began to streaked back at Amy.

"Look out!" Serena screamed.

But Amy had already been aware of the pointed roots behind her. In fact, the druid had fallen right into her trap. She ran toward the druid, letting the branches follow her. Petasos smiled in glee, sensing her victory. She summoned a plant ball and threw it at the rushing Sailor Scout. Amy let it get close to her before she energy jumped into the air. The ball missed wildly, but then Petasos realized her fatal mistake as the roots came straight at blinding speed. She had no chance to stop them in time.

The two roots impaled the druid, piercing her in chest and the stomach. Petasos did not let a scream of agony as blood trickled down her mouth, her dress turning red near the places she had accidentally stabbed herself with her own powers.

Meanwhile, Amy flipped over her opponent and landed behind her. Slowly she turned and smoothly closed her weapon. By shear will, Petasos was able to command the roots to leave her impaled body and return to the ground. Slowly the druid turned to see the last thing she would see.

Amy calmly raised her boomerang and took aim. A brief moment passed between them, the moment that Petasos realized she had been defeated by her overconfidence, before Amy pulled the trigger, blowing a big hole into Petasos's head. The now dead body of the druid swayed on its feet for an instant before it fell onto its back, arms flung wide, but dead.

Keeping her weapon out in front of her, Amy slowly approached the body, but it suddenly dissolved into dust and in a flash it was gone. The plants that had been holding the innocent people disappeared soon after. Acknowledging that it was over, Amy quietly put her weapon away. She turned to her friends, taking in the shocked expressions of the other Sailor Scouts and the nods of approval from Luna and Tuxedo Mask.

"I'm okay, everyone," she said with a smile.

Serena and Raye could only nod; both of them were rendered speechless by what they had seen.

"You fought well, Sailor Mercury," said Luna.

"And you fought with bravery," Tuxedo Mask added, "Never lose that courage, no matter how frightening things are. Remember this day, Sailor Scouts, for bravery will allow you to face the impossible. Farewell."

With a fling of his cape, Tuxedo Mask was gone.

Amy rushed over to Mr. Oliver's side and let out a cry of relief as his hair returned to it's natural color and his features back to normal.

"Everyone turn on your scanners," instructed Luna as they checked the other people.

"What for?" Serena asked as she turned hers on.

"To make sure that the druid didn't plant any seeds or anything inside the people," Luna answered, "I doubt that was part of her plan, but we can't overlook the possibility."

"I'm detecting anything," Raye said a minute later.

"Neither am I," said Serena.

"I'm not sensing anything as well," Luna nodded, "That's a relief. We would have our hands full in we had deal with a small army of plant invested humans."

"What exactly is a druid?" Raye asked.

"Exactly what you saw," Luna answered simply, "A worshiper of nature who is obsessed with protecting it and hates industry so much they wouldn't hesitate to destroy it. They were one of the most traditional enemies of Sailor Scouts during the Silver Millennium and I wouldn't doubt they still would be today if a cult existed here in this world. They originated from the elf worlds across the galaxy and, like the bureaucrats in the American government, they had a firm hand in their government. In many ways they were the real rulers of the elf worlds. The Alliance had many conflicts with the elf worlds because of the druids. Their religion is no different from the Hindu and Buddhist religion, both of which worship nature. The only difference is that they have powers that can make them an enemy to nature itself."

"I will warn you this. If you should ever come across druid in the future, _do not_ trust them. I'll admit their have been a few exceptions during my time, but most of them are completely untrustworthy. If you love nature and feel that it should be protected to a degree, that is fine. But whatever you do, never, _ever_, worship it. If you do, you will become that very evil that you were fighting against today. Nature should be protected, I agree, but we should also remember that nature provides the resources necessary for civilization to survive regardless of its technological level."

The sound of police sirens were heard in the distance.

"We should—" Luna started to say.

"I think we should stay here," Amy said, "We'll transform out of uniforms and make look like we were helping these people. I don't want to leave Mr. Oliver behind until I'm absolutely sure he's okay."

Luna studied her for a moment, but nodded.

"Very well," she said, "Finish up here and then go home. We've been out here for too long. I'll stay close by and keep an eye out in case there's more trouble."

Luna left the sight as the girls transformed out of their Sailor Scout uniforms and back into their Girl Scout ones. Serena and Raye were still tending to the people who were now waking up when the paramedics and police arrived. Amy, however, stay closed to her friend's side until with a groan he finally stirred and opened his eyes.

"Oh," he moaned and weakly placed a hand on his head, "What... happened?"

"It's okay," Amy assured with a smile, "You just collapsed from working too much. Everything's fine now."


	5. Chapter 19 Memories and Dreams

**Chapter ****19**

Memories and Dreams

They discovered, thankfully, that the people innocently involved in the incident didn't remember anything, from the druid to the attacking plants and animals to even the timely arrival of the Sailor Scouts. Police and paramedics were scattered about helping the wounded even though they bore no significant wounds. Amy spend most of her time with Mr. Oliver, but the caretaker was alert and unharmed with no signs of health deterioration thanks to their efforts.

The girls, due to the fact they were still wearing their Girl Scout uniforms, received gratitude by the authorities for their good before they were told that they had the situation under control and that their assistance was no longer needed. Satisfied that there was no longer any danger with no other danger in sight they made their way out of the park.

Just as they were, Raye spotted Darien talking with a police officer and rushed over to him. His clothes were still damp but he appeared to be fine. Serena stiffened as Raye spoke to him, but quietly waited for Raye to return. Amy watched her behavior curiously but said nothing. After Darien gave a polite smile and nod to Raye, she nodded back before she practically skipped back to them.

Serena felt her temper raise and fought to keep it down. She didn't want to create a scene with all the people around. Her gazed wandered over to Darien and she nearly flinched when she saw that he staring right at her and not at Raye. His face was expressionless, but he seemed to be looking in a way that sent her wits scattering. Then he gave her a nod, a wave, and an even politer smile than the one he'd given to Raye. Feeling her cheeks heat, she turned her head away.

Why was it that whenever Darien so much as looked at her she felt like this? Resisting the urge to shake her head, she followed Raye back the cathedral.

The sun was starting to set when they arrived. Amy's mother was already there waiting for them and with a wave, Amy said goodbye before leaving in Peggy's SUV. Dave informed Serena that her father was late due to a business meeting and would arrive momentarily. As Serena sat on the bench waiting for her ride, she thought Raye would go ahead and turn in when she went inside. But to her surprise, her friend came back outside and sat beside her, now changed into her black habit.

"How are you feeling, Serena?" she asked.

Serena blinked, "I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem to have a lot on your mine."

"Actually," Serena crossed her arms and glared at Raye, "I _do_ have a lot on my mine. What on earth were doing going out with Darien?"

Raye only stared right back at her, "I should be asking you why _you_ were following us, since it's none of your business who I date."

Serena's jaw dropped, "You _knew_ I was following you?"

"Of course," Raye nodded, "And I think Darien might have noticed too."

"You big sneak!" Serena pouted, "Both of you are big sneaks."

"Yes, well, I wasn't surprised that you were following us. And why were you? I thought you didn't have any interest in Darien."

"I wasn't following you because of Darien," Serena felt her cheeks heat, but she ignored it, "I was following you because I was trying to protect you."

"_Protect __me_?" Raye looked honestly shocked, "From what?"

"From Darien! In case he took advantage of you!"

Raye burst out laughing, "Oh, Serena! Sometimes you are just too much!"

"What?!" Serena yelled, embarrassed that she was making a fool of herself.

"Darien is the last person who would take advantage of me," Raye chuckled.

"How would _you_ know?" Serena persisted.

"I'll admit, I don't know him as well as you do, but unlike you I actually _took_ the time to get to know him rather get into an argument with him."

"By dating him?" Serena wasn't convinced.

"I didn't go out on a date with him because I wanted to. I went out with him because I wanted to find out about his character."

"For what?" Serena was now confused.

"To see if he really is Tuxedo Mask," Raye said simply.

"Oh, brother," Serena groaned, "You're absolutely convinced that Darien is Tuxedo Mask?"

"Yes," Raye nodded.

Serena only sighed irritably, causing Raye to frown.

"Why do you dislike him so much?" she asked.

"Because he's..." Serena shrugged, "I don't know. Ever since we met it's been nothing but fights. He just irritates me to no end."

"He's not a bad guy, Serena."

"You really think so?" Serena sighed, "I guess he is since he didn't do anything to you. Maybe I should start being a lot nicer to him."

"I agree," Raye nodded, "because he finds you interesting."

Serena stared at her as if she had spoken a foreign language.

"Say again?" she said.

"_He_ finds _you_ interesting," Raye emphasized.

"_Me_?" Serena was truly astonished, "But we hardly even know each other!"

"You would be if you weren't fighting all the time," Raye stated, "And I think he actually likes you."

This time her heart seemed to stop, "Now I know you're joking with me."

"I'm not," Raye's eyes danced, "The question is, do _you_ have a crush on Darien?"

Serena's jaw dropped again as she felt her cheeks bloom with color.

"I-I," she stuttered, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Raye couldn't help grinning.

"_Oooooohhhhhh_!" Serena nearly screamed, "Not this again! First Luna, now you! Next it will be Amy. At least she has the sense to stay out of it."

"You really do like Darien after all," Raye declared.

"Will you stop it!" Serena was resisting the urge to slap her, "I don't have a crush on Darien! And I don't want to hear anymore of this!"

"Okay, okay," Raye finally relented, "But I agree that you should start being a lot nicer to him."

"Why?" Serena stared, "And don't you dare suggest that I'd go out on a date with him."

"No," Raye's tone changed, "I'm being serious."

"What are you-"

"Serena, listen," Raye spoke with open honestly, "Darien told me about himself and I know now that he's actually a good man. You need to hear this because of what he went through."

"Okay," Serena stayed quiet as Raye told her about Darien's tragic childhood. When she finished, Serena suddenly felt guilty, "Oh, my God. I had no idea."

"I didn't either," Raye sighed sadly, "Losing his parents when he was only five, rejected by his family except his great uncle, and then trying to recover his memories, that is a hard life. I'm amazed that he's made it this far."

"Yeah," Serena nodded before she frowned, "But what does this have to do with me?"

Raye looked at her, "Darien told me that you remind him of something. Something he can't seem to grasp."

"I remind him…" Serena's voice trailed as her mind went into a spin, "But we never met during our childhoods, I'm sure of it. Sure, we grew up in the same city, but I don't ever recall actually meeting him until we did in front of the jewelry store a few months ago."

"I don't think it's whether you met before or not," said Raye, "I think it has to do with his memories."

"What?" Serena blinked, "But you said that he had recovered from his amnesia."

"I know," Raye returned, "but maybe there is something in his memories that he just can't quite remember. Maybe you are the key to that."

Serena took a moment before asking, "What do you want me to do?"

"Well," Raye shrugged, "for a start, try being nice to him in the future and maybe get to know him a little."

"Okay," Serena agreed, although she didn't sound entirely happy about it, "I can't make any guarantees, but I'll try."

"Good," Raye grinned, "Because I think he also likes you."

Serena nearly fell off the bench, "_What_?! Please tell me you're joking."

"I could be wrong," Raye continued, "but after he told me that he found you interesting makes it a possibility."

"I..." Serena gave up with a frustrated sigh, then remembered something, "You know, Luna might have an idea who Tuxedo Mask is."

Raye turned her, eyes widening, "She does?"

"Yeah," Serena nodded, "I was talking with her this morning when I was getting ready for today. Remember when I told you guys that I thought Tuxedo Mask was injured back at the tennis court? Well, Luna told me that there was the possibility that whoever our companion is may not be aware that he is Tuxedo Mask."

Raye blinked, "What?"

"I know," Serena agreed, "it threw me off too. She told me that it could a subconscious thing that spurs the guy behind to the mask rescue to me whenever I'm in danger."

"But it seems like he knows ever time we see him," Raye stated, "And how would he know that your were in danger?"

"By sensing it the same way we do, at least that was what Luna told me."

"But how..." Raye shook her head, "I'm totally confused now."

"I know," Serena sighed, "Luna can't to figure it out either, but it was the only explanation she could up with. What's really got her confused was when Tuxedo Mask mentioned that he was also a victim when Apollonia fell after our battle with Jadeite at the airport."

"I remembered that," Raye put in, "I was just as confused as everyone else was when he said that. If he was killed at Apollonia, how could he still be alive today?"

"Maybe he was reborn," Serena suggested.

Raye turned her gaze to her and frowned, "Serena, you should know that in the Christian religion we don't believe in reincarnation."

Serena blanched, "I—I know that! But with everything that Luna has told us about the Silver Millennium, don't you think there was a magic spell that could bring people back from the dead?"

Raye snorted, "If there was, or still is, then it should be forbidden."

"Alright, don't get so rallied up," Serena took a breath, "Maybe he could be immortal."

"Yeah, right," Ray snorted again.

"Will you stop being so thick!" Serena shot at her, "I'm just as mystified about him as you are. All of us are. Anyway, Luna then asked me if I knew anyone who did actually resemble Tuxedo Mask."

"What did you say?" Raye didn't bother to hide the humor in her voice.

Serena gritted her teeth and admitted, "I told her that Darien bore the closest resemblance, but even that is not enough to prove that he really is Tuxedo Mask. The strange thing is, he appeared at the same time I made my first appearance as Sailor Moon."

"That must have been something."

"It was," Serena nodded and told Raye about her first encounter, "If it hadn't been for him and my determination to save my friend, I would have died there. I had no experience of using a sword and had no training at all. Neither did Amy when she first became a Sailor Mercury. We wouldn't meet you, your grandfather, until a few days later."

"It amazes me the two of you lasted for that long before we got proper training."

"We had help," Serena grinned, "in the the form of Tuxedo Mask."

"What exactly was his injury?" Raye asked, "Back at the tennis court."

"It just as I said. I was about to finish off the knight when I saw him suddenly kneel and his clothes started flashing. He was holding his head as if it was in pain."

Raye suddenly blinked and stiffened. Serena immediately saw her reaction and looked at her.

"What is it?"

"Back over in the park, when did you and Amy transform?"

"Shortly after I saw you and Darien go out on the boat; I couldn't follow you so I left. I'd just met up with Amy and Luna when we sensed the energy burst. Why do you ask?"

Raye was silent for moment. Then she placed a hand on her chin and leaned back on the bench.

"I'm not sure of this is connected but..." she paused, "when we were out on the boat, Darien suddenly flinched as if something had struck him and he was holding his head as if he were having a severe headache. Before I could ask him what was wrong, a flock of birds attacked us and we fell into the lake. After we swam over to the piers he assured me that he was alright. I immediately sensed the energy and left to join you guys."

"He seemed okay when we left," said Serena, "Wet, but okay."

"Yeah," Raye suddenly grinned, "Are you telling me you were actually concerned about him?"

"No!" Serena fought to keep down a blush, but failed, "I was stating simple fact!"

"Calm down," Raye laughed, "I was only kidding. But that reaction of his, I hope there isn't anything seriously wrong with him."

"Yeah," Serena muttered, "I just wish Tuxedo Mask wasn't so secretive about his identity. We've been fighting alongside each other since the very beginning. Why won't he talk to us? Maybe we can help him through whatever it is that's bothering him."

"You're answer is as good as mine," Raye shrugged, "I don't understand why he leaves us just as soon as he helps us. But there's nothing we can do about that. All we can do is wait and see."

"Yeah," Serena sighed.

"You know, Luna is pretty secretive as well."

Serena's head snapped around, "You noticed it too?"

"Yeah," Raye glanced at her, "You noticed? Well, I guess you would have. You've known her longer than we have."

A thought struck Serena.

"Raye, have you ever wonder if..." she shook her head, "No, never mind."

"What?" Raye insisted.

"It's a question I want to ask you, but I also want ask Amy at the same time. And I want to ask it when Luna's not around."

Raye frowned at her, but only shrugged, "Okay, I'll wait."

"And I think that's my Dad right now," Serena pointed as a large car being driven by Keith pulled up, "I'll see later, Raye."

"Sure," Raye grinned one last time as she watched Serena go, "Remember what I said."

"Yeah, yeah," Serena waved carelessly.

* * *

**Things remained quiet the next** day and the day after. Their trainers gave them Sunday off due to their efforts at the park. Cheng, however, was most impressed with Amy and her duel against the druid. She even challenged Amy to a duel to see if her student could beat the master. The match didn't last long; Amy was knocked off her feet in less than ten seconds.

Cheng had placed her practice sword on her shoulder and a with a amused grin on her face told her student, "You have sharpened your skills enough to defeat a druid, but you still have much to learn if you want to defeat me."

"But I don't want to defeat you," Amy had protested, "You're as much as my friend as you are my teacher."

"That's very kind of you," Cheng had said, "but one day you will move on from being a student to being out on the field on your own. Then you will become teacher and take on a student for yourself before you become a master. Serena and Raye will face this too, for it is the path of a Sailor Scout—as Luna has told me."

"It is your destiny and duty as a Sailor Scout," Luna had added when their attention turned to her, "Do not try to escape it because of your personal feelings."

And so Monday came around and they were back at school, another day of learning, writing, and studying. Later on, while Serena was having lunch, she overheard Molly and two other classmates talking excitably over a magazine Molly had in her hands.

"Wow!" she heard her exclaim, "Look at these photographs! They're wonderful!"

"What have you got there, Molly?" said Serena, peering over her friend's shoulder. The pages Molly was looking at were filled with beautiful scenic pictures of the Virginian countryside.

"These pictures were taken by a junior high school student," Molly pointed, "when he was out on a camping trip with his family."

"Wow," Serena took a closer look, "A _junior_ high school student took these?"

"Yeah," Molly pointed, "He's in the same grade as we are. He even got a honor award for these pictures."

"That's amazing!" Serena gasped, "Not many teenagers can accomplish a feat like."

"You can say that again," Molly laughed, "He's not even eighteen yet and he's already a celebrity!"

Serena's gaze drifted down to the text of the magazine article, "Shane Kinley," she read, "a fourteen-year old student attending St. Albans School—St. Albans School?! I have a friend who goes there!"

"You do?" Molly looked at her.

"Yeah," Serena nodded, "Remember that priestess we met over at Washington National Cathedral some time ago?"

"Oh, yeah! The physique girl."

"Raye," Serena corrected, "She may be stern, but she's a lot more than being a physique."

"When did you two start being friends?" Molly asked.

Serena shrugged, "Since the day she accidentally hit me with a cross."

Molly burst out laughing, "I remember that! Hey, after school me and a couple other girls are going to go over to St. Albans School and that get that guy's autograph. Want to come along?"

"Sorry," Serena said gently, "I have to go somewhere after school. And I don't think it's a good idea to treat a guy like he's a celebrity just because he's talented with something so simple."

"Bah," Molly waved her off, "You're no fun anymore."

With a wave and a smile, Serena picked up lunch and made her way over to the table that Amy was sitting at, who was eating her own lunch and doing her homework at the same time.

"Let's see," she heard her analyzing, "X minus Y time pi squared..."

"Doing your homework already?" Serena mocked being shocked as she sat down across from Amy, "Don't you ever take a break?"

"Only when we're in our training sessions or if I don't any have any other homework," Amy smiled as she took a bite from her sandwich, "Were you talking about that kid at Raye's school who's talented in photographing?"

"Yeah," Serena looked at her, "How did you know?"

"I saw the article about him on the bulletin board this morning," Amy grinned, "And because that's all Molly been talking ever since came out here."

Serena chuckled, "That's Molly. She told me that she and her friends were going to try to get his autograph after school."

"I wish them luck."

"What?" Serena grinned at her, "Don't tell you don't want to get his autograph too."

"Not interested," Amy shrugged, "I got more important things to do anyway, like cram school for instance."

"You never change," Serena smiled fondly, "You're wasting away your precious youth."

Amy looked up her and put on wicked grin, "Studying hard. _That's_ my precious youth."

Serena rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right."

Some minutes passed before she suddenly asked in a low voice, "Hey, Amy. What do you think about Darien?"

Amy brought her gaze up, surprise showing her eyes. Serena silently cursed at herself as Amy placed her both her pencil and sandwich down and started studying _her_ curiously. What on earth was she doing?! Asking her friend what she thought about she detested.

Or did she?

"_Serena,_" Amy crossed her arms, her gaze never leaving hers as a amused grin started to form on her face, "Am I to take it that you're _jealous_ of Raye's sudden interest in the man?"

Color bloomed her cheeks, "Of course not! I was just curious on what you thought about him. You know what? Forget that I asked."

To her disgust, Amy's body shook with laughter but her friend kept her mouth closed as she picked up her pencil resumed with her studies.

"Raye didn't go out with him because she wanted to," Serena said a moment later, "She went out with him because to find out about his character."

"Oh?" Amy lifted a eyebrow.

"She's convinced that Darien is Tuxedo Mask."

"Ah," Amy nodded understandably, "I wondered if there was something more to that date."

Serena frowned as Amy finished with her math problem and set her pencil down. Clasping her hands, she looked at Serena and said, "I think Raye may have point."

Blinking, Serena stared at her, "You think that Darien is Tuxedo Mask?"

"I'm can't say," Amy shrugged, "I don't know him as well as you and Raye do, but he's exactly what I imagine Tuxedo Mask would be like when he not wearing his mask."

"What makes you so certain?" Serena was having difficulty in believing what Amy was saying.

"Unlike Raye, I don't need to go on a date with Darien in order to figure him out. And unlike you, I don't automatically assume what he's like simply because we got off to a bad start."

Serena gaped at her when she realized what Amy was hinting at, "Are you telling me you already figured out Darien's character?"

Amy nodded.

"But you you've never actually met him! Much less spoke to him!"

"I didn't have to," Amy grinned, "When we met him out side the arcade center that night, I knew he was a good guy."

"Just by one look?" Serena was incredulous.

"Definitely," Amy nodded, "Darien is a man of honor and dignity. He's not the type to take advantage of any girl. In fact, I took it under consideration that he finds most of them boring and won't give so much as a second glance. _You_, on the other hand, are the exact opposite. With that in mind, I come to believe he finds you interesting and that he likes you."

"That is..." Serena started to protest, but upon feeling another blush torch her cheeks, she threw her hands up in defeat, "Oh, what's the point of arguing anymore? Everyone's now convinced that there's something between me and Darien and no matter how many times I try to deny it, no one believes me."

"A girl in love is a girl who lies," Amy smiled behind her drink.

"I am not in love with him!" Serena shot to feet, then realized that other students were staring at her and quickly sat back down, "Please stop this," she whispered, "You're only making worse for me."

Amy shrugged, "You asked."

Growling, Serena chomp on the rest of her food and stayed silent. Blast it all! She brought this upon herself! Every time Darien's name was mentioned her breath stopped. Every time she saw Darien her heart stuttered, then quickened whenever he got close. Now, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

For goodness sake, what was wrong with her?!

"Just out of curiosity," Amy interrupted her thoughts, "Why does Luna think about Tuxedo Mask?"

Serena blew out a breath, "She is just as mystified about him as the rest of us are. She told me about a theory she had in mind. Raye also find out something about Darien during her date with him."

Quietly she Amy what Luna and Raye had told her the other day. When she finished, Amy seemed to just a surprised as she had been.

"Tuxedo Mask may be someone who not aware who he is and the fact that Darien is still suffering from amnesia, it almost makes perfect sense."

"But the thing that's practically a brick wall blocking that theory..." said Serena.

"Is the fact that Tuxedo Mask mentioned he was also a victim the day Apollonia was destroyed," Amy finished for her.

"Exactly," Serena, "Which means Darien would have to have survived _and_ be immortal in order to have lived long."

"Do you think what Luna may think that may be true?"

"With her," Serena shrugged, "it's easy to believe anything she says.. If only Tuxedo Mask would just speak instead of disappearing all the time after every single battle."

"It would make things easier," Amy agreed, "But we know him well enough to know he isn't our enemy and that he's not working for the Dark Kingdom. Come to think of it, he always seems to appear whenever _you_ are in danger."

"It's been like that since the beginning," Serena sighed, "On the very night I became Sailor Moon, he also appeared and until we got proper training, he was my protector."

"Luna changed all our lives when she gave us our brooches," Amy murmured.

"Yeah," Serena nodded, "But it wasn't her fault. She did what she had to do in order to protect the innocent from an ancient evil."

"I know," Amy smiled, "I'm not blaming Luna in any form. I'm actually really happy to be a Sailor Scout. Fighting for a righteous cause and bringing back a legacy that existed thousands of years before we were even born. I'm actually quite glad Luna come into my life. I love to hear her tell more stories about the Silver Millennium and our predecessors. The adventures they had and the worlds they discovered, it must such a great age to live in."

"I know," Serena smiled in returned, "I love to hear more stories too. Speaking of whom, you're going to be at the cathedral after cram school, right?"

"Yes, why?" Amy frowned.

"I want to ask you and Raye something about Luna, but I want to ask when it's just the three of us and Luna is not around to hear us."

The school bell rang as Amy looked at her curiously but nodded, "Alright, I'll be there a soon as I can."

* * *

**A few hours later, Serena** was surprised Amy already at the cathedral, talking with with Raye, when she arrived. Due to the amused smiles on their faces, she had to assume they'd been talking her thoughts and feelings concerning Darien. Ignoring Raye, she turned to Amy and said, "You're here early."

"I had a rather easy assignment today at," Amy grinned, "I was the first one finished so the teacher let me go once he was convinced that the problem was done correctly."

"It almost seemed like she was eager to come straight here right away so she could tell what you said to her," Raye teased.

"Oh, stop it," Serena said in a frustration, "I don't need to hear anymore of your conspiracies concerning me and Darien. Come on, we need to change."

With an amused glance at each other, Amy and Raye followed Serena into the cathedral. As they changed, they could hear Luna and their trainers talking over training techniques.

Serena was about to ask the question she'd been wanting to ask when Amy said to Raye, "By the way, Raye, we heard about that guy in your school who's good at taking pictures."

"Oh, yeah, Shane," Raye smiled, "He is quite a talented photographer. I've told him that his pictures taking techniques would make him famous one day but he never believed me until now."

"Do you know him?" asked Serena.

"A little," said Raye, "Him and I go to the same art class together."

"He must be really popular in your school right now," Serena giggled.

"He is," Raye sighed, "but he's not likely it one bit. While he's nice, and a bit cute, he's very shy. He doesn't like having a lot of attention because it makes him very nervous. We had some reporters visit our school today for an interview with him and already a number of girls are trying to get his autograph."

Amy shook her head, "I never understood why taking pictures can suddenly make a celebrity."

"You'll have to ask them," Raye frowned, "but I doubt they'll give a real answer since they're so air headed. Speaking of which, Serena, did you send a group of girls from your school to get Shane's autograph?"

"Did one of them have short, closely cropped, red hair?" Serena grinned.

"Yeah," Raye nodded, "She was leading them actually."

Serena chuckled, "That would have been Molly. She told me during lunch that she and some friends of hers were going to try to get his autograph after school. And no, I didn't send them; she invited me along but I wouldn't have any part of it."

"So that was Molly," Raye grinned, "I had a feeling that was her. Anyway, she and her friends tried to barge in on the interview and I sent them scurrying back and I chastised them for their rudeness."

Serena laughed, "She's not going to be very happy about that. She'll probably be complaining to me tomorrow about why I'm being friends with someone so mean."

"You told her we were friends?"

"I might have mentioned it," Serena grinned.

"Humph," Raye snorted, "At least you were the smart one by staying out of it. There may be some hope for you after all."

Serena only stuck her tongue out at her.

After they were finished with their physical exercises, acrobatics, magic using, and weapon training, they went to the small boarding lodge were they had moved their morality tests with Luna. It was also the same place where Raye had encountered Jadeite for the first time. However, in the last few weeks up until today Luna saw little to no need to carry on the morality and principle lessons since for they had learned everything they needed to learn and they was little else to teach.

Therefore, she announced that from now on their morality lessons would now be their free time period. They were now free to do whatever they like, whether it was homework or relaxation, for the final hour of their daily training as they relaxed their muscles before they went home for the day.

"Just remember what you're responsibilities are," she said and gestured to the Play Station 3 video game system that Raye's granddaughter had interesting bought for them, "Don't make me regret my decision to give this freedom. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they said.

"Good. I'll leave you to do whatever you wish. Don't let me down, ladies."

She turned to the door and began walking to it when Raye suddenly said, "Wait, Luna. There's something I wanted to ask you."

Serena glanced suspiciously at her, hiding a frown.

"Yes, Raye?" Luna waited.

Raye suddenly became very nervous; she kept tweaking her fingers and for someone reason couldn't seem to get the words out. Serena and Amy glanced at each other in surprise; they had never seen Raye this nervous before.

"I was wondering..." Raye a breath, "When we at the park the other day, one of our fellow Girl Scouts asked if any of us would be interest in becoming the scribe of the troop."

"Oh?" Luna sat down.

"Well, I'm... seriously thinking about becoming the scribe. But the stories I want to tell are... are about..."

"_Ah_," Luna realized what she Raye was trying to ask and there was a sudden twinkle in her eyes, "You want to tell stories about the Sailor Scouts and the Silver Millennium, correct?"

Serena and Amy jerked their heads to Raye, gaping at her.

"Yes," Raye let out a sigh of relief, "That's what I want to do."

"And you would like me to tell you those stories so you can write it down and then tell it to your friends, correct?"

"Yes," Raye nodded, beginning to more confident, "You lived throughout the entire age of the Silver Millennium. You remember almost every single event that happened during that time and been almost everywhere across the galaxy. But you also went many hardships during that time too, the biggest being when Apollonia fell and the Alliance was destroyed. Therefore, if you're not up telling us your stories about—"

"Not at all, Raye," Luna shook her head before smiling proudly at her, "I think you will doing a great honor to those who had lived and died during the Silver Millennium. And although the people of this world will believe those tales when they first hear it, I will be more than happy to share with you so you can share them with others. Nothing pleases me more than telling the stories of the time I lived in."

"Thank you," Raye smiled happily, "When would be the best time to start?"

"Anytime you like," Luna offered.

"Okay," Raye paused, "I don't have any writing materials with me today, so would tomorrow be alright?"

"Certainly," Luna nodded, "Which story would you like me to tell you first?"

"The one where the Sailor Scouts first ventured into space on the _Heaven's Horizon_," Raye said automatically, "I've been wanting to hear more about that story since you first told it to us."

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Amy piped up, "I too want to hear a more detailed version of that story."

"Same here," said Serena, "Hearing only a brief description of it only made me want to hear more."

"As you wish," Luna smiled brightly.

"Will you be able to able to remember everything that happened in the story, Luna?" Raye asked.

Luna beamed, "I used to tell the tale as a bedtime story to the children of the royal family of Lunaria when they were children. Other times it was when I visited orphanages and charity events concerning children across the galaxy. It was every child's favorite story and one of the most famous during my time because it explained who there were and why they were fortunate to live within the Alliance. Even though it was written, I've told the story so many times I know every single word of it by heart. So, you needn't worry. The only thing I ask is that you tell it correctly."

"Don't worry, I will," Raye beamed, "Personally, I think it would be better if you told the story yourself to the world, but I don't think people would take very well if a cat suddenly started talking to them. And I would never lower myself to make you look a talking robot who looks like a cat with a moon crescent of its forehead."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Luna laughed and turned back to the door, "We'll start tomorrow in here after you are done with your training routine. I'll see you back at home, Serena."

"Well!" Raye blew out a breath once Luna had left, "That went better than I thought."

"Wow, Raye," Serena beamed at her, "You were actually serious when you said you would consider taking the job as the troop's scribe."

"Yes, well, as I said before. I've had a secret desire to become a writer, I just didn't know what kind of stories I wanted to write about. With Luna and her memories of the Silver Millennium, it could provide with great start for me."

"That sounds a little selfish, Raye," chastised Amy.

"I know," Raye agreed, "but I truly want to share Luna's memories with the rest of the world. No one on Earth knows about the great age that Luna had lived in or the great heroes who fought and died protecting the galaxy during that very age. Even though no one will ever believe it to be true because it is actual history, it's a memory that deserves to be told again and again. Luna is all that's left of that memory; we'll never see another great age as the one she lived in through our lifetime."

A long moment of silence as Serena and Amy quietly agreed with Raye. A great historical time in the galaxy about a galactic alliance that lasted for a thousand years only to end in tragedy. Raye was right; the Silver Millennium was something that should never be forgotten.

"So," Raye turned to Serena, "what was it about Luna that you wanted to ask us, Serena?"

Serena blinked; she had nearly forgotten about the question she wanted to ask her friends about.

"Amy," she said in a love voice, "Can you go outside and make sure Luna isn't around?"

Amy looked at her but nodded, "Okay."

As Amy went out to look around, Serena went around and made sure all the windows were closed. Raye frowned as she watched her.

"Is there something wrong, Serena?"

"No," Serena shook her head, "I just want to make sure Luna can't eavesdrop on us while we're talking."

After Amy came back in and confirmed that Luna was no where in sight, Serena motioned for her to sit back down.

"Alright, Serena," Raye was starting to sound impatient, "What is it?"

"Is there something wrong with Luna?" asked Amy.

"No, it's not that. It's just..." Serena took a breath, "Have you ever gotten the impression that Luna may be hiding something from us?"

Both of them blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected question.

"What do you mean?" said Raye, astonishment in her eyes.

"It may just be my imagination, but," Serena shook her head again, "it seems that every time Luna tells us something about the Sailor Scouts and the Silver Millennium, it seems as though she's reluctant to tell us something that is even more important."

"Why would she do that?" asked Amy.

"I don't know," Serena sighed, "I first noticed it right after we met you, Amy, and then again when we met you, Raye. I even noticed it when right before she told us the story about the formation of the Alliance. I can't understand why she hold something from us after all that's happened so far."

"You know," Raye paused, "It might explain why Luna has been so gloomy as of late. I mean, look how close she would have been killed if Darien hadn't saved her."

"I don't think it's that," Amy shook her head, "You have to remember what she went through when Apollonia fell. Everything and everyone she loved was destroyed before her very eyes. That's more than enough to traumatize someone to a the state of madness. It amazes me how she, and her fellow Elysian Artemis, wherever he may be, were able to keep it together after all this time."

"Amy has a point," Raye agreed, "Even though they're not not human and are immortal, they are all that's left of the Lunarians. She's strong, but she is just as vulnerable as the rest of us are."

"Maybe you're right," Serena relented, "Maybe I'm just imagining things."

Amy reached over and patted Serena's arm, "We're not saying that we doubt you, Serena. If Luna really is hiding something us, I'm sure it's nothing against us."

"And if she is reluctant to tell us something," added Raye, "it may just be that she just isn't ready to tell us just yet. As Amy said, Luna did go through a lot. When she's ready to tell us, she will."

"I wonder if it could be because she doesn't want to become too close to us," Serena thought, then shook her head sharply, "No, that can't be it. She's already become close to us even if she were to deny it. You may be right, Raye; there's probably some part of Luna that she's buried deep down because of what happened. A part she doesn't want to share."

Raye put her arm around Serena, "We all love and care for Luna just as much as she loves and cares for us. Just wait; one day she'll open up to us. And when she does, we'll hear even more tales about the Silver Millennium and our predecessors."

"Yes, indeed," Amy beamed, "I'm awfully glad you asked Luna to tell you those stories. I want to hear more and more."

"I know what you mean," said Serena, "The way Luna tells it makes it sound more like it actually happened and that it's not just a fantasy story. It's a real memory of something that existed long ago."

An idea suddenly struck Raye, "_Hey_, I think I just thought of perfect title for this story."

"What's that?"

"_Memories of the Silver Millennium_."

A moment of silence passed as they considered the title.

"_Memories of the Silver Millennium_," Amy repeated, "I like the sound of that. It's a little long, but it it gives it that magical touch along with giving the reader something that intriging."

"Yeah," Raye agreed, "Maybe I'll subtitle it as _The First Journey of the Sailor Scouts_. Nah, that's too long and too typical. It needs something a little more catchy."

"Why not call it _Heaven's Horizon_?" Amy suggested, "After the ship the Original Nine sailed on when they made their first journey into outer space?"

"You think that will work?" Raye thought for a moment before shrugging, "I suppose it could. But it may sound too much like a romance book title."

"I don't think so. Who knows? You might publish as a best-selling novel one day."

Raye laughed, "That will depend on whether or not Luna let's me."

"_Memories of the Silver Millennium_," said Serena, "That is rather..."

Her voice suddenly trailed off; Amy and Raye looked at her as a frown formed on her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Amy.

Serena rubbed her chin thoughtfully and didn't say anything for a full minute.

"I was wondering..." she paused again, "This is another question I've been wanting to ask you guys but I never get around to asking it or I keep forgetting. Have either of you been having strange dreams lately? Dreams that... feel more like _memories_? And even stranger, it felt as though it was coming from that very age Luna has been telling us about?"

Amy and Raye looked at each other before Raye started to laugh.

"I think you've been letting Luna's stories go to your head," she stated.

"That's what I thought too at first," Serena paused, "But then I remembered that I started having this dream long before Luna even told me, or us, about the Sailor Scout or the Silver Millennium. In fact, the night I first had this dream was the same night when I first became Sailor Moon."

Raye frowned, "Didn't Luna tell anything about the Silver Millennium before you met us?"

"No," said Serena, and continued on as Raye stared at her in surprise, "She only told me that I was the rebirth of the Sailor Scouts Universe, who they were, and that they were other girls like yourselves that shared the same destiny I did. She never told me, or Amy, anything about the Silver Millennium until the night we faced Jadeite at the airport."

Now Raye was totally confused, "That's weird."

"What was the dream like, Serena?" asked Amy.

"It was..." Serena took a breath, "I was walking a hallway that I believed to be a palace. I passed by several people, all dressed strangely, but I believed they were servants. I would smile at them and say hello, and I think one of them actually said, 'Good morning, your Highness'."

"_Your Highness_?" Raye blinked.

"I know," Serena nodded, "It sounded so strange but they were all treating me like a princess."

"What happened next?" said Amy.

Serena went on, "I would continue walking until I came to a archway that was actually a window. I would then look through it and..."

"And?" Raye pressed on.

"Here's where it really gets strange," Serena shook her head, "I would see a vast city of white and gold, just like what Luna described about Apollonia. Then I would look up into the sky, except that it was as dark as night instead of morning like the servant said. But this is the weirdest part. You know how you can see the moon right from your bedroom window at night? Well, I would look up and see the same thing except it wasn't the moon. It was Earth."

Amy and Raye stared at her, the shock on their faces unmistakable.

"_Earth_?" both of them were incredulous.

"Yeah," Serena confirmed, "and then I would wake up right after that. It was if I was looking up at Earth _from_ the moon."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Raye nearly yelled, "How could you be seeing Earth from the moon?"

"Could you have possibly been seeing from the city of Apollonia?" Amy asked curiously.

Serena hesitated, "I guess that's... what it could have been."

"That's impossible," Raye protested again, "None of us know what Apollonia actually looked like even with the way Luna had described it."

"But..." Amy sighed, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you have a point there, Raye."

"But it feels like I've actually done that before," said Serena, "going down that hallway and looking up at Earth from the moon."

All of them were silent for a moment, then Amy said, "You know, I think I've had a dream that is somewhat like yours, Serena."

Both of her friends turned to her.

"You have?" Raye said in disbelief.

"What was it like?" asked Serena.

"I was a gymnasium," Amy began, "similar to the one we have but much larger. I was surrounded by around girls, both our age and older; I think I must have been a little child because I always had to look up at them. I think a few of them were even wearing Sailor Scouts uniforms. Anyway, we were standing around a huge training mat, where two women were standing. One of them looked a lot like Cheng Xun, except she was younger. She and this other woman would practice sword fighting each other. I would cheer for the other woman while everyone else would cheer for either one them. And when they were finish, everyone would applaud while I would onto the mat, yelling 'Mama!'. The woman would turn and then lift me up into her arms as I came to her. I would then look down into her smiling face... and would I wake up right after that. The strangest part of that dream was that woman's face was my mother's."

"_Peggy_?"

"Yes," Amy nodded, "Only she was younger, like she was before my father died."

Another moment of silence passed.

"Now that mentioned it," said Raye, "I think I may have had a dream similar to the ones you guys have been having."

"You too, Raye?" Serena stared at her.

Raye nodded, "I don't if this really counts but... I been having this dream where I'm riding on a horse. Riding with me is three other people. Two of them are a happy couple and the woman looked like an older version of myself. This may sound crazy but I think she and the man could have been my parents. The third person looked a lot like my grandfather, except he was a little younger, had a beard, and his hair was longer. Anyway, we were enjoying our ride across the countryside, which strangely looked a bit like Greece. We would continue riding until we came onto a hilltop. Then we would look down at a vast city in the distance and watch futuristic looking jets leaving and arriving to and from the sky. Actually, I think they may have been spaceships because they heading directly toward the moon, which we could see in the sky. Then I would wake up right after that."

All of them stare at each other as they each considered the strange dreams they have had in recent.

"Do your dreams feel more a memory like mine does?" asked Serena.

"Sometimes it does feel like it," Amy admitted.

"I don't know," Raye sighed, "Part of me wants to believe that dream is actually a memory because I never knew who may parents were."

"Have you had any other dreams similar to those?" Serena asked next.

Both of them thought for a moment.

"I don't think so," said Raye.

"I think I might have," Amy frowned, "But most of it was just gibberish since I couldn't figure out what the dream was."

"Why do you ask?" said Raye, "Do you have another dream like that."

"I think I did," Serena nodded, "but I think this one have been made from stupid romantic thoughts."

"Tell us anyway," Amy insisted.

"Well," Serena took a breath, "This one I started having recently. In this dream I was flying in the air in some strange flying machine. I was also sitting on some guy's lap with my arms around his neck and—"

"Was it Darien by any chance?" Raye couldn't resist teasing.

"No!" Serena went red in the face, "Knock it off, will you! I'm being serious here."

"I know, I know," Raye waved, laughing, "Go on."

"Anyway," Serena sniffed, "We were flying through the sky and I would look down and see city lights, the sea, and the countryside all lit by moonlight. I would then look up in the sky and I would see not one, but _three _different moons."

"_Three_ of them?" Amy stared at her.

"Did you ever figure out who the man was?" asked Raye, a gleam in her eyes.

"No," Serena shook her head, "Every time I look up and try to see the man's face, I would wake up. It felt as though I flying over a different world in this dream and that this man was showing me that very world."

"Apparently in a very romantic way," Raye smiled.

Serena blushed, "Yeah, I suppose you could say that since it did feel very romantic."

Silence

"You know," Raye said a minute later, "I beginning to wonder if what you said about Luna hiding something from us may actually be sure."

"_What_?" Amy looked thoroughly shocked, "You can't be serious."

"I don't want to believe it but," Raye paused, "none of us can understand why we are having these strange dreams that feel more like memories. We can't even understand what they mean either, or rather we keep seeing familiar people in them, like my grandfather and our trainers for example."

"But that doesn't explain why Luna would hide something from us," Amy insisted.

"I know, but think about it. Who has a better connection and better knowledge about the Silver Millennium and the Star Kingdom of Lunaria? There's still a lot more that we don't know about Luna, which makes her a mystery."

"I don't like the sound of this," Amy started to sound frightened, "I don't think we should force Luna into telling us something she doesn't want to."

"I actually agree with you, Amy," said Serena, "I don't want to put Luna under that kind of pressure; she doesn't deserve it. I think we should follow Raye's advice and wait until Luna is ready to tell us whatever it is she's hiding. In the meantime, let's continue fighting our battle against the Dark Kingdom by stopping whatever plans they have."

"Yeah," Raye nodded, sounding pleased, "I think that's the best thing to do for now."

"Well!" Amy said quickly while sounding relieved at the same time, "It we're quite finished with all of that, I'm going to go back to studying."

Both Serena and Raye burst out laughing, "You never change, Amy."

"While you're doing that," Raye's eye glinted as she looked over at the Play Station 3, "Serena, do you play Soul Calibur?"

Serena looked at her in surprise, "Yes, I do. My little brother has two, three, and four. Recently, he challenged me to see if I could beat him."

"And did you?"

Serena chuckled, "I got so good with Mitsurugi he doesn't even want to play with me anymore. I even played the arcade version when I was little."

"If that case," Raye grinned, "I challenge you to game of Soul Calibur four. Me with Tira against you with Mitsurugi."

"Tira? She's one of the most evil characters in the entire series."

"I know," Raye chuckled, "But she fits my fighting style perfectly. And Mitsurugi is not much of a hero either."

"In that case," Serena waved, "I accept you're challenge!"

Amy shook her head, "You guys shouldn't be playing such violent games."

"Ah, come on," said Serena, "We hardly ever get to have any fun after our training sessions."

"I suppose so," Amy sighed, "But I should warn that once you two get done beating each other up, I'll beat you both with Xianghua."

Serena and Raye stared at her as if she had spoken a foreign language.

"Since when do you play Soul Calibur?" asked Raye, "Or _any_ home console video games for that matter?"

Amy only grinned and left the question unanswered.

* * *

**The sun was beginning to** set again when they finally left the cathedral. At the same time, just outside the city, Shane Kinley was up on a cliff next to the highway waiting to take his next picture, one that he had planned for a long time. It would be one where the sun would be setting behind the distant hills, illuminating Washington DC in brilliant hues of gold and red.

He had arrived an half-hour earlier on his bicycle, waiting for the perfect moment to come. However, as the moment drew close, he found that his position just wasn't right. He shifted from side along the highway and was still not satisfied. He needed to be on lower elevation, otherwise the picture wouldn't worth as much as he believed it would be.

And so, he threw aside caution and swung over the guardrail. He shifted lower until he was dangerously close to the edge which hovered over a sixty-foot drop. He looked up and finally saw his chance. He began taking pictures, then his foot slipped on the loose dirt. He felt his camera fly out of his hands as he slipped out into open air. He opened his mouth to scream, then he felt a strong hand grabbed one of his flaying wrists, stopping his fall.

Shocked, frightened, and struggling to breath after his close encounter with death, he looked up to see a tall broad-shoulder man with long wavy auburn hair and piercing blue eyes. He was holding onto the guardrail one hand while gripping Shane's wrist with the other.

"Careful," he said softly and pulled him up, "It would be a shame if such a young talent died before he career had even started."

Shane gasped as the man pushed him to the guardrail beside him. He grabbed it and pulled himself on back onto the highway. He took a moment to catch his breath, relieved that his still alive. He looked over and saw a red Ferrari parked in front of his bike. He'd been so focused on getting his shot he hadn't even heard the car coming.

"Are you alright?" asked the man who had just saved his life.

"Uh, yes!" Shane stuttered, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," the man gave a small smile, "Here, let get your camera."

Shane looked over and was amazed to see that his expensive camera hadn't fallen into the pit below but had instead lodged itself against a large rock. The man stretched out and quickly snatched the camera. Vaulting over the rail, he handed it back to Shane, who took it like it was precious toy.

"If you want to be a great photographer," the man said, "You best learn not to take unnecessary risks."

"Y-Yes, sir," said Shane.

The man smiled and walked back his car, "I like your pictures so far. Please keep up the good work."


	6. Chapter 20 Shutter Bugged

**Chapter ****20**

Shutter Bugged

"_You __could __be __the __next __model!_" Serena read out loud from the pamphlet over the dinner table, "Hmm, I wonder if that's something I should try out for."

Seated across from her, Sammy burst out laughing, "_You_? A supermodel? With a face like that? That will be the day!"

"What's your problem?" Serena glared at him.

"I'm sorry," Sammy wiped tears from his eyes, "but I just can't imagine you being a supermodel. Besides, you need more than just good looks and a good figure to be a model. You also have to be smart."

"What are you talking about? I study hard all the time," Serena stood as if her height would prove her point, even though she knew she was lying.

"Yeah, right," Sammy rolled his eyes, as if he had read her mind "You hate studying, so it's no wonder you come home with failed tests all the time. I can just see the photographer saying, 'Sorry, but you're not good enough'. In fact, you probably won't make past qualification when you send your picture during the first selection."

Resisting the urge to slap him across the head Serena turned to Isabelle, who was still cooking dinner. Keith had called earlier and informed them that he would be working late tonight and wouldn't be coming home until after they had gone to bed.

"Mom," she called, "do you think I could be a model?"

"You can be whatever you want to be, Serena," Isabelle said over her shoulder, "But Sammy does have a point when it comes to your schooling. I would concentrate on that first instead of doing something so trivial as modeling."

Serena glared at her mother, then, ignoring the smirk from her brother, turned back to the pamphlet.

"_Please __send __your __photograph __to __Shane __Kinsley __at __this __address_," she stared, "_Shane __Kinsley_?!"

"Who's he? You're boyfriend?" Sammy joked.

"No," Serena glared at him again, "One of my friends from another school happens to know him. I'll have to ask what this is all about the next time I see her."

After dinner Serena went her room to find Luna lying at her usual perch on the bed with her eyes closed, as usual.

"Hey, Luna," she smiled and plopped herself onto the bed, "What do you know about modeling?"

Luna opened her eyes and glanced at her with a disapproving look, "As in showing off in front of a camera and, in the worst cases, exploiting yourself?"

Serena blanched, "No, I didn't mean it—"

"I know what you meant," said Luna, "I'm only warning you what modeling and other careers in the entertainment industry can lead to. Self exploitation, uncontrollable fame, eventual abuse, and even death. There is even the undeniable fact that you're expendable at all times. If you don't satisfy them or get too old, they throw you out. If you wish to pursue that kind of career, be very careful on that path for you will always be skating on thin ice. I've seen many talented actors and actresses be brought down by those very things both in my time and in this time. I actually pity those people because of the immense pressure they go through."

Serena stared at her silently for a moment, "You don't like the entertainment industry, do you?"

"It's not that I don't like it, I don't trust it," Luna sighed, "Let me tell you a story about a woman I met in Japan who went through a horrible experience in the anime industry."

"_Japan_?" Serena gaped at her.

"When Artemis and I awoke from our long sleep thousands of years after the fall of the Alliance," Luna began, "We began to travel around the world to see how much Lunaria had changed. We saw many good things from many good cultures and horrible things from many bad cultures. During our travels we came to the land of Japan. An interesting, but at times disagreeable, culture full of history. It was fascinating to see how much it had flourished since its defeat at the end of the Second World War."

"As we walked through the streets of Tokyo, I happened to see a young woman come out of a building that belonged to a anime production company. Her head was high and her stride was confident, but I could see in her eyes that she was deeply hurt. Artemis had noticed her as well and our curiosity got the better of us. We followed her to her car in the parking and were the only ones who saw her break down in her car. I became worried that she might do something foolish, such as taking her life, so we continued following her as she drove back to home."

"We eventually came to the apartment she stayed and watched her as she struggled to control herself. It was obvious that she was very angry about something so we decided to speak with her shortly after she went to bed."

"_What_?!" Serena couldn't believe her ears, "You actually _spoke_ with her?"

"At that point she was so nearly driven to a state of madness she was liable to believe anything," said Luna, "Artemis and I began speaking to her. We first calmed her down before we persuaded her to tell us why she was so troubled."

"She told us that during her school days her experiences in life had made want to become a manga artist but her father had persuaded her to pursue another degree in case her attempt to become a manga failed. She later graduated from college with a degree in science but she still wanted to pursued her original dream. After a few attempts, her efforts finally paid off. A comic publishing company became interested in one of her works and it soon became a hit within the community. Before long, an animation studio offered her the chance to turn her manga into a anime. Thrilled to the core at her success, she immediately agreed and sold. However, this was where her problems began."

"She had created a comic that consisted of superheros, or rather magical girls as I believed they called them, who started out just like you did, Serena. It was meant to be an enjoyable and inspirational superhero story meant for little girls and teens alike. However, this meant nothing to the animation company. They were more interested in _selling_ a product than _making_ a product."

"They began portraying her characters more as sex symbols rather than heroes, putting in bits of pieces that was original meant for comedy but the animators eventually got carried away and began putting in things that were controversial and not true to the creator's original vision. By the time she realized what was happening, it was already too late. The anime was a hit and fans were demanding more."

"She was left with two choices, either to try and save her product, or to go along with what had already happened. However, the real question lay in whether or not she wanted to keep the fame she had suddenly gained regardless of what she seeing was wrong. She chose her fame over what she felt was morally right, and went along with the portrayal of her product. Why, you may ask? I can only think of two reasons why she made this decision. She had become a popular figure within the anime community and she didn't want to lose that popularity. The other is perhaps at the same time, she thought should could save her product. However, what she failed to realize that selling the rights of your product to a company can sometimes be the same as selling your soul to the devil. And sadly, things only became worse for her as the series progressed."

"Now that her product was a hit, she continued to draw and write to expand it. However, the anime company continued to manipulate her product because they were making lots of money off of it. To them, that was all that mattered. But she kept her head up and went along with rather than trying to stop them. Eventually her product came to America, where it would also become a major hit. Of course it would be dubbed and heavily censored, but that is the difference between America and Japan when it comes to morality and principle and how they view cartoons."

"While the show had potential, it was never able to truly soar because of its controversial issues and other criticism. Then the animation company finally went too far on her product's final season and she finally had enough. She went up to the producers and told them that she wanted the series to end for she was not going to make any more manga. Seeing that they had a great number of episode and a few movies, the producers and the animators," Luna snorted as if to emphasize her disgust, "felt they had done enough and moved on to the next product, not even acknowledging or even caring how she felt."

Luna sighed again and shook her head slowly, "I honestly could not help but pity that poor woman. Because of her youth and inexperience with entertainment industry, she had no idea what she was getting into. Because of that, she ended up losing a part of herself because she was more worried about her fame than standing up for what she believed in."

"Why didn't she just tell the truth after it was all finished?" asked Serena.

"And make a fool of yourself in front of your fans?" Luna raised an eyebrow, "Truthfully, that would have been the honest thing to do, but would anyone _believe_ you? At that point, she didn't see any point of trying to bring out the truth since the damage was already done. Thankfully, Artemis and I were able to counsel her to getting her life back together and moving on. We left her shortly after that, but I kept my ear opened to hear how she would progress."

"She was able to move on. She's now married and has a couple of children. She even tried to write some new manga but never went anywhere with them, most likely because she doesn't trust the anime industry or even herself. I heard that she made a live action version of her product that was more true to her manga, but left everything else unchanged. I'm even starting to hear that a new season of the anime will be released for its upcoming anniversary, but I seriously doubt any good will come of that."

"But I saw through that woman's eyes how deeply she was hurt. Her experience with anime industry had completely destroyed her confidence and she was never able to fully recover from it. So now you know from a perfect example why I highly distrust the media."

"I'm sorry that woman had to go through all that," said Serena, "but I still think she should have tried to bring out the truth."

"Perhaps one day she will, but only when the world is ready to accept it, just like that of the Sailor Scouts" Luna paused and shifted until she directly facing Serena, "The point I am trying to get across to you, Serena, is that it is alright to have fame, but never let it be everything to you. It is easy for the young to think that the world reflects around them, but there comes a day when they must accept reality and that they must make it on their own. Those who do not accept it end up becoming a victim because they cannot think on their own, speak on their own, or stand on their own. Instead they rely on others to make their own decisions, and before they know it their lives are in those very hands. Then it becomes question of whether or not they can break free, but most never even try."

"In your case, Serena, you live in a world where it has become reliant on what the media tells its viewers, but almost always fails to bring out the truth and express common knowledge. Never assume anything Serena, regardless of what you hear. If your instincts tell you something that is not right, then they are wrong. Young as you are, you will reach a point in your life where you will have to leave behind your childhood and accept whatever path Avon has given you. You have proven yourself worthy of wearing the uniform of the one named Sailor Moon. The question is, can you be a leader?"

"I ask you this not because I do not believe you are capable, but in the future you will be in a full scale war. When this happens, you will more than likely kill a fellow human being in this world. That is something that you fear, is it not?"

Serena couldn't stop the chill that went down her spine and shuddered, "How did you know?"

"Serena," Luna sounded amused, "You should know by now that nothing ever escapes me."

She had known, just never fully realized it.

"I don't want to kill anyone," she whispered.

"That is something you're going to have to accept," Luna returned coldly.

"I don't think I can."

"You must, if you want to survive."

"But—"

"Serena," Luna said sharply, "When you pledged the Sailor Scout oath to Avon at the cathedral, you swore to uphold his teaching and to stand up for what is right. You cannot let your personal feelings get in the way of that."

"I know that, but—"

"There are not 'buts' Serena. Don't listen to the gray area nonsense that you hear of nowadays. It is either right, or it is wrong. Black or white, there is no gray area in between. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool and anyone who thinks that they can get away with something that's wrong and think that it is okay is an even bigger fool. There was a reason why I gave you and the others those morality and principle tests. Do you remember what I told you during that time?"

"Yes," Serena nodded.

"I hope you do."

"But..." Serena sighed, "You told me after we'd first met that the world wasn't ready to accept someone like us yet. How will we now if the world will ever accept us?"

"When that day comes, Serena," Luna answered, "tell them the truth."

"But what they still don't accept us?"

"They may have to one day because you may be the world's only hope in the future. The life of a Sailor Scout isn't an easy one, Serena. You will go through victories and defeats, taking lives while saving others, and making decisions you will not like but must accept. It is no different from any other person serving in the armed forces."

Serena went silent again, "Can the truth really bring out the good, Luna?" she asked slowly.

"Most of the time it does, even though there are times when we are better off not knowing the truth about certain things. Honesty is a great virtue, Serena. Take Amy and Raye for example. Amy completely despises the art of lies and deception while Raye believes in truth because it is a major part of her faith. As for myself, I believe the truth bring out the good all things especially when it is told completely and correctly. That is why I insisted that Raye write the story about the _Heaven's __Horizon_ the way it was told. Do you understand now what I'm trying to get at?"

"I think I do," Serena nodded, "I guess I'm just... worried, maybe a little frightened."

"Understandable," Luna agreed, "but I wouldn't dwell on it too much. Keep your thoughts focused on what is going right now and do what you can to help. We will worry about the future when it arrives."

"Okay," Serena smiled, "By the way, thank you for telling us more about the _Heaven's __Horizon_ today. It was so fascinating to hear."

"It is always my pleasure," Luna returned with a warm smile, "We'll continue where we left off tomorrow. Right now, you should get to bed."

With that, Luna stood and padded over to the window. She was about to open when Serena suddenly said, "Just so you know, Luna, I'm _not_ afraid."

Luna stopped and turned back to Serena, her eyes gazing at the young girl with that familiar all-knowing look.

"Much as I am inclined to believe you," she said, "I believe you have yet to experience what _true_ fear really is."

* * *

**The ****next ****day, ****Serena ****visited** the arcade center shortly after school and immediately saw Andrew who was finishing up checking over an arcade machine. Greeting her with a warm smile, Andrew asked how she was doing and, returning his smile, told him about her ambition to become and of the problems it could present.

"Well," Andrew shrugged, "I can understand the kind of pressure you would be going through if you went into modeling, but cheer up! If it doesn't work you can always find something else to do. The important thing is to challenge yourself and not to give up."

"Thanks, Andrew," Serena smiled, "You're the only one who shown real support so far."

"Andrew is right, though" said a voice, "You'll probably end up failing anyway."

Serena immediately recognized the voice and her eyes narrowed into slits as she looked around to see where the voice originated. Then a man stood up from an arcade machine and to her despair it was without a doubt Darien. Straightening his shirt, he walked over to her with a huge smirk on his face.

"No matter the outcome," he continued, "You should always participate. That's what's important."

"Who asked for _your_ opinion?" Serena glared at him.

"Now, now," Darien held up his hands innocently, "I'm just giving you some good advice. People have gotten the wrong idea in today's world. They think history that started the moment they were born, that they can do whatever they want and not take any responsibility for it, and that they are entitled to everything without having to earn it. What's even worse is that other people think that those people are cooler than everyone else. For example, think of a guy who is a complete slacker and yet all the girls go for him because they think he's cool. The truth is, in your case, a girl's looks isn't limited by her true beauty."

"Then what is it?" challenged Serena, even though she knew what the answered was, she wanted to know if Darien thought the same way.

He didn't disappoint her, "It what's inside that counts," he said, placing a thumb over his heart, "A kind heart that has the courage to do the impossible, whether it's for a righteous cause or for carrying out a dream."

Serena was rather surprised by his answer and she felt her face soften. Maybe there was more to him than she thought. Then, mentally shaking her head, she said, "Courage? For a girl?"

"That's right," his lips looked like they were about to form a smile, then they broke into a wide grin, "Not that you have any, anyway."

Her face hardened again and her glare returned. Just when she was thinking about saying something nice to him he had to through in that rude remark.

"_Well_!" she nearly yelled at him, "At least I have the courage to tell you how much of a jerk you are!"

"Besides," Darien ignored her insult, "a fourteen year-old kid who suddenly wants to photograph young girls in bikinis? Don't you find a bit odd and creepy at the same time, considering his age? If I were you, I'd stay away from that Shane Kinsley."

"Well, guess what? You're not me!" Serena shot back, "There's nothing with him wanting to try something different with his camera. At least _he_ has the courage to pursue his dream, unlike you!" she checked her watch, "I gotta go. See you later Andrew."

Darien and Andrew watched her storm out of the arcade center.

"Jeez, Darien," Andrew glanced his friend, "Did you have to be so hard on her? She's just a teenager after all."

"I know," Darien watched Serena go through the sliding before turning and walking away It never failed to catch his notice on how gracefully she seemed to walk, "but we always end up in a fight no matter how many times we talk. I guess we just can't get along."

* * *

**Serena ****arrived ****at ****the ****cathedral** shortly afterword and found Raye already changing into her PE clothes.

"Amy told me during school that she won't make it here today," she said after greeting her, "She's got a dentist appointment right after cram school."

Raye answered with both a grunt and a nod. Serena frowned when she saw the strange look on her face, "What's wrong? You look like you're upset about something."

"I'm not upset. I'm just..." Raye paused before she slipped on his shirt, "concerned. Worried."

"About what?"

"Did you get a pamphlet from Shane Kinsley about his swimsuit photo shoot?"

"Yeah, I did," Serena grinned, "I actually sent my picture in so I could participate," when she saw the worried look in Raye's eyes, she grew nervous.

Raye sighed and shook her head, "I wish you hadn't done that."

"Why?" Serena was now bewildered, "What's wrong with going to a photo shoot in swimwear? It's not like Shane is going to something inappropriate or anything."

Raye only shook her head again, "You weren't there this morning, Serena. Yesterday he doesn't come to school, then today he suddenly shows up and announces he wants to take pictures of girls in swimwear? You don't find that odd, if not disturbing?"

"Maybe he wants to try something different," Serena shrugged.

"Maybe," Raye snorted, "I don't know him well, but I know him enough to know that this isn't like him. Shane's never been into girls or any of that kind of stuff. I mentioned before that he was very shy, so why the sudden change? He was acting far too excited when I saw him. It was… disturbing."

"There's nothing wrong with being excited," Serena shrugged again, even if it is disturbing."

"_The __tongue __has __the __power __of __life __and __death, __and __those __who __love __it __will __eat __it__'__s __fruit, _Proverbs 18:21. I'm really worried about Shane, Serena. Something's wrong with him, my six sense kept telling me that there's something evil inside him. It was just like with Amy's friend the caretaker at the park, and like Molly's friend the tennis player before that."

"You think Shane's being possessed by monster from the Dark Kingdom?" Serena eyes widened.

"How else do you explain his strange behavior?" Raye stated, "Especially with the last two victims we've had recently?"

It began to dawn on Serena that Raye may be right. The look in her friend's eyes was unmistakable. Silence ensued as she took a moment to think.

"Are you really that concerned for him?" she asked.

"Yes," Raye nodded, "I don't want to see his life destroyed because someone's controlling him."

"Alright," Serena's tone turned serious, "How about we do this? Shane's photo shoot is on Saturday. If I get a letter containing his approval for his shoot, how about we all go together and see if there's something going on? You and Amy can pretend that you came along to support me."

"Okay," Raye gave a small frown, "but what if you don't get approved?"

"Then we'll go anyway in support of Molly. She also sent a picture of herself as well and has got as good of a chance of getting approved as I am."

Raye chuckled, "I don't think Molly would be very happy to see me after the way we met the other day."

Happy to see a smile on Raye's face again, Serena grinned, "She'll get over it. In fact, she'll probably to smirking at you because she's getting the chance to have a photo shoot with Shane."

"She may come to regret that if what we suspect is true," Raye stated.

"I know," Serena agreed, "I don't want to send Molly or anyone else in danger, but the only way we'll find whether or not Shane is being possessed is to catch him in action."

"Alright," Raye sighed, "I don't like the sound of this, but it is a good plan. Make sure you let Amy know what we're doing."

"I will."

Just then there was knock on the door.

"Raye?" came Dave's voice.

"Come on in, Grandpa," Raye called back, "We're all dressed."

The door opened, "There you are," said Dave, "I was starting to wonder what was taking you girls so long."

"Sorry, Dave," Serena smiled, "Me and Raye started talking about the weekend and weren't watching the time."

"Oh," Dave looked around, "Where's Amy?"

"She won't be here today," Serena explained, "She's got a dentist appointment."

"Ah, I see," Dave glanced at his granddaughter and frowned, "What's wrong Raye? You look upset."

"Me?" Raye looked up in surprise, "I'm not upset. Well, maybe a little since I had kind of a frustrating day at school."

Dave lifted an eyebrow, "Academic or otherwise?"

"A bit of both actually," Raye smiled, "But you needn't worry about it."

"Well, when you're ready, get over to the gym. Cheng and Walt are starting to get impatient."

"Come on!" Serena clapped a hand on Raye's shoulder, "Let's get this training session over with so we can go beat each other in Soul Calibur."

"I hope you girls aren't having _too_ much fun with that video game system," Dave crossed his arms and frowned at them.

Raye rolled her eyes, "I'm half tempted to send the whole thing back," she muttered irritably.

Dave stared after her as she walked out of the room.

"What was all that about?" he asked.

Serena grinned, "Amy beat us both really badly yesterday and the other day, Raye especially. As you can imagine, she wasn't very happy about it."

Dave and shook his head, "What is it about young people and video games these days?" he said as he walked out the door.

Serena only laughed and followed him.

* * *

**On ****Friday, ****Serena ****immediately ****rushed** home as soon as school was out. She was eager to find out whether she had been accepted or not. But when she arrived, she found that her little bother Sammy had also arrived home early.

"Serena?" Sammy blinked at her, obviously surprised to see her home so soon, "What are you doing here already?"

"Waiting for my letter," Serena frowned at him, "What else do you think I would be doing?"

Sammy stared at her, then laughed, "You still think you'll get accepted right away after the first screening. I keep telling you, but you won't listen. There's no way you'll get accepted! You won't even make it onto the stage."

"Shut up and go inside," Serena scolded at him. She went over to the mail and opened it.

"Well," Sammy turned to the front door, "Even if there is something for you in there, its probably just junk mail."

"Nope," Serena read the letter that was addressed to her, "I did it! I passed the first screening test!"

Sammy nearly fell flat on his face, "_What_?"

"See, see," Serena smirked and held the letter out in front of his face, "It says right here to report to the hotel tomorrow where they'll be holding the photo shoot beside the pool. What do you think about that?!"

She struggled not to laugh as Sammy struggled to say something. With a little salute, she stuffed the letter in her pocket, grabbed her school case and ran inside the house.

Sleeping on the bed, Luna awoke to the sound of running footsteps before the door burst open and Serena rushed in, happiness on her face as jumped onto the bed and nearly making Luna bounce right off.

"Judging by that look on your face," Luna, irritated by Serena's childish behavior, tried to get comfortable again, "either you've fallen madly in love or you must have been accepted."

"I _did_ get accepted," Serena showed her the letter, "As for being madly in love, it could only be Tuxedo Mask."

"Well, congratulations," Luna placed all four paws beneath her, showing little to no interest.

"Thank you!" Serena stood up, "Now, let's see. I need to bring a swimsuit with me so... " she went over to a chest of drawers and opened the bottom one, "Here we are!"

She held up a cute pink one piece swimsuit. Then she gasped in horror when she saw its sorry state.

"Oh, no!"

"What is it?" Luna lifted an eyebrow.

Serena held up the swimsuit for her to see. It was riddled with holes in random places.

"It's filled with moth holes!" Serena shrieked, "I shouldn't have left it in here for so long. I haven't used it since last summer. I don't even knows if it still fits me."

"Don't you have another one?" asked Luna.

"No, I don't," Serena was close to panic, "This is the only one I have! What am I going to do? I can't go to the photo shoot with this."

Frantic, she looked around her room for something that could repair her ruined swimsuit. Then an idea struck her and she rushed over to the closet. Luna watched in growing amusement as Serena practically ransacked her closet.

"Ah! Here it is!" Serena pulled out a package filled with white ribbons tied, "Perfect! I can sew these onto the swimsuit to cover the holes."

Pulling out a sewing kit, she set the kit, the ribbons, and swimsuit onto the bed. Immediately she went to work, tying the ribbons into bowties. It wasn't until some time later she noticed that Luna was being strangely quiet. Wondering, but not convinced, that Luna was asleep, she glanced over at the cat and saw that Luna had been watching silently but with an amused expression on her face. Luna glanced up at her and her grin only widened as she shook her head, her body shaking with suppressed laughter.

"What?" Serena said irritably.

"Oh, nothing," Luna said in a exasperated voice, "It just amazes me how you put so much energy into something so trivial and not do the same when it comes to your schooling."

Serena rolled her eyes and, suppressing a snort, continued with her work.

* * *

**The ****next ****day ****Serena ****arrived** at the hotel with Amy and Raye in tow. The reception committee allowed her friends to come in with her as long as they didn't interfere with the photo shoot itself. Raye looked determined while Amy looked uncomfortable, apparently feeling out of place since she not interested in things like this.

When they entered the big meeting hall, they were amazed by the incredibly large crowd that had gathered. Then they saw Shane Kinsley stand up on the makeshift stage, dressed in suit and looking very excited.

_Far_ too excited.

The realization made Serena blink and she turned her gaze to Raye, but the priestess had her attention entirely on Shane.

"Art it explosive!" Shane thrust his fist into the air as if he'd won a race, "Please go to your assigned rooms and wait until you are called! I don't want to be disturbed while I'm taking pictures, so no peeking! Come in at your appointed time, understand?!"

All the girls in the room shouted their agreement and began pushing and shoving each to get out of the meeting hall and into their assigned rooms. Once Serena and her friends were in a safe place where they couldn't be trampled or heard, they quickly huddled together.

"You see what I mean?" Raye asked Serena.

"Yeah, I do," Serena nodded, "He was totally impatient and rude."

"He didn't even welcome us or even thanked anyone for coming," added Amy.

"Not to mention that almost every girl in the city has been invited," came Luna's voice. They glanced down at the slightly opened lid of the basket Serena was carrying on her arm, where Luna had hidden herself in, "I don't like the look of this. I'm sensing an increasing amount of energy that was coming from him."

"I sensed it too," Raye agreed.

"So did I," said Serena, "I think you're right Raye. Something _is_ wrong with Shane."

"So what do we do now?" asked Amy.

"We do exactly as he says," instructed Luna, "All of you act calm and casual. We don't want to draw attention by being suspicious."

The girls nodded and Serena lead the way to the room she was assigned too. After taking the elevator to the fifth floor where the indoor pool lay, Serena heard a voice ahead of her call her name. She looked up and what shocked to see Molly and Miss Harrison, both beaming and wearing summer dresses like she was.

"Molly? Miss Harrison?" she blinked at them as they came to her, "What are you two doing here?"

"Both of us got accepted," Molly did a little twirl.

"I think we're also going to be in the same picture together along with another girl," Miss Harrison's gaze moved to the other two girls behind Serena, "Hello, Amy."

"Hello, Miss Harrison," Amy smiled, "It's nice to see that you got accepted too."

Miss Harrison returned the smile and looked over at Raye, "And who's this beautiful young lady?"

"This is Raye," Serena introduced, "She's a student at St. Albans School. She's also the granddaughter of Arch Bishop Dave Heinberg at the Washington National Cathedral."

"Ah! I thought you looked familiar," Miss Harrison's eyes brightened, "I saw a picture of you and your grandfather in the newspaper when he was given the position. It's very nice to meet you."

"Thank you," Raye smiled and shook her hand.

"I believe you and Molly already met?" Serena pointed out with a grin.

"Yes, we did," Molly shot Raye a glare, now having recognized her, "Are you here for the photo shoot too?"

The tone in her voice was clearly disapproving, but Raye only smiled and said, "No, neither Amy or I turned in an application. We just came over in support of Serena."

"Oh," Molly sounded relieved yet somewhat disappointed.

"That's very nice of you," said Miss Harrison, "Well then, we better get ready. Our turn will be up soon."

Once she and Molly were behind the door Raye said, "Miss Harrison's seems very nice, and very pretty."

"She is," Amy grinned, "but she can be very tough on students, especially Serena. I can't count the number of times I've seen her out in the hallway because she's always late to class."

Serena bared her teeth at Amy as Raye burst out laughing, "You just _had_ to mention that, didn't you?"

"Raye was bound to find out sooner or later."

"Miss Harrison's your teacher?" Raye laughed again, "Now that's totally fitting."

"Oh, shut up," Serena set down the basket and let Luna out, "I have to get ready. You three go around the hotel and find out where Shane's taking his pictures. I don't have my cell phone with me so come get me me right away if you see something that's not wrong."

Serena went into the room after her friends and Luna went down the hall and sat down in front of the mirror to put a touch of makeup on. A minute later she saw Molly and Miss Harrison fling open the curtains of the changing rooms, now in their swimwear.

"I wonder if I gained any weight?" Miss Harrison muttered as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Hey, Serena, you should change into your swimsuit right now," said Molly.

"I'm already in it."

"You have? Let's see it."

Serena was reluctant to show it after what she had gone through yesterday, but knowing that she would have to eventually she stood and untied her dress. She waited with open uneasiness as the dress slid to the floor, revealing her swimsuit.

"Oh, it's cute!" Molly squealed.

"Yes, it is," agreed Miss Harrison, "A little old fashioned, but it suits you perfectly Serena."

"Thanks," Serena nearly sighed with relief. She had slaved into the night trying to repair her swimsuit. Thankfully the ribbons she had sewn on hid the moth holes perfectly.

Molly and Miss Harrison sat down to put on her own makeup. As Serena was putting on the finishing touches of hers, someone began frantically knocking on the door.

"Serena?" came Raye's voice, "Can you come out for a minute? You forgot something!"

Hearing the desperation in her friend's voice, Serena immediately stood, "I'll be right back."

Raye's voice had made her concerned, but after she had shut the door and saw her friends faces, her concern reached to new heights. Both Amy and Raye were deathly pale, as if they had seen a ghost.

"What is it?" she asked quickly, "What happened?"

"W-We... " Amy tried to steady her breath while she clutched her chest.

"We came to the pool where Shane was hosting the photo shoot," Raye explained, "We were watching him taking a picture of a group of girls and... and..."

"A beam of white light shot out from the camera and struck the girls," finished Amy.

Serena felt the blood drain from her face and her insides turn cold.

"The girls all fell to the floor in a dead faint without even knowing what happened," Amy went on, desperately fighting hysterics.

"Then we saw..." Raye shuddered, "we saw their... spirits... coming out of their bodies and being sucked into the camera. Then the bodies themselves disappeared without a trace."

Bracing the wall because she felt that she would faint at any moment Serena looked down at Luna, who's face was more serious than shocked.

"What you're dealing with this time is a Soul Catcher," she said.

"A _Soul Catcher_?"

Luna nodded, "It's a certain kind of sorcerer who takes the souls of creatures, mainly intelligent ones, without even fighting them. In my time, soul catchers roamed the galaxy in search of powerful warriors and magic users. Once they captured their spirits, they would then use them against others in order to gain power. The spirit would take the form of its former body, even though it was nothing more than shell."

"Serena," said Raye, "We saw on the bulletin board that your group will be the next ones up."

"Oh, no!" Serena turned to rushed through the door, then stopped, "No, I can't go in there and tell them what's going on. They'll both think I'm crazy."

"Then what do we do?" Amy asked desperately, "We can't let any more girls get their spirits taken away from them. And we have to free Shane from the creature who's possessing him and the spirits he's already captured."

Serena stood there for a moment, thinking hard. Molly and Miss Harrison had already been the Dark Kingdom's victims once and she didn't want them to become victims again. Then an idea struck her.

"Luna," she turned to her, "are there any security cameras leading to the pool?"

"There are," Luna nodded, "but I can make us invisible if necessary."

Serena thought again, "Alright, here's what we we're going to do," she quietly explained what her plan was. In truth she didn't like it, and neither did her friends, but she wasn't going let her friend, her teacher, and any other suffer a terrible fate. When she finished, Molly and Miss Harrison came out of the room, ready to have their picture taken.

"We're up next, Serena," Molly announced, "Are you ready?"

"Yep!" Serena put on a happy smile, "Go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

With a nod, Molly joined Miss Harrison's side and they chatted excitedly. They were join by another woman, a lifeguard judging by her swimsuit, who had getting ready in another room. Serena, Amy, and Raye followed a short distance behind, pretending to be enjoying themselves. However, Serena kept an eye on the ladies in front of her while waiting for Luna to give them the signal, who was following close behind.

When they were almost at the doors where the pool was, Luna muttered loud enough for them to hear, "Now," and the girls increased their pace. They came up behind the other ladies and karate chopped them on the back of the necks. Molly, Miss Harrison, and the lifeguard dropped to the floor like stones, out cold.

"Quick, put them in here," Luna gestured to the door of a janitor room, her moon crescent glowing from the spell she was casting.

"Are you sure the cameras won't see this?" Amy pulled open the door.

"They won't. Trust me."

Quickly they pulled the unconscious girls into the room, which was thankfully big enough to support all three of them.

"Sorry, Molly, Miss Harrison," whispered Serena as she settled her friend down, "but I'm not going to let you walk right into danger."

Once the ladies were safely tucked away and the door was closed shut, they rushed over to the doors leading into the indoor pool. Serena cracked it just a little and peeked in.

"Can you see anything?" asked Raye

"Yeah," said Serena, "I can see Shane. He's becoming more and more impatient. He's pacing, no stomping, back and forth."

"He obviously waiting for his next group," said Luna, "We need to stop him now. Once you transform get in there right away. If we can separate Shane from his camera and destroy the soul catcher that's possessing it we can save him, but no matter what _do not_ let that beam of light hit you. Don't try to block or deflect it, _avoid_ it at all costs. If it so much as touches your body, you'll be trap inside the camera forever and your spirit will belong to the soul catcher for all eternity."

"Understood," they said and transformed.

* * *

**Shane Kinsley had decided to ** use the indoor pool not because it was the perfect place to shoot pictures, but because there was not a single security camera inside the room. Therefore, it was the perfect place for him, or rather the soul catcher controlling him, to capture the souls of his victims without being seen. Every shot he took made him even more and more excited and his energy level grew even higher. Soon Nephrite, the one who placed the spell inside Shane's camera, would be able to take his energy. Now Shane was getting increasingly impatient for his next group to come in when the doors burst opened and a trio of girls rushed in, dressed in strange outfits and brandishing strange weapons in there hands.

"Who are you?!" he demanded, "And how dare you interrupt my concentration!"

"Don't play games with us!" Serena shot back, "We know what you're doing."

"You will release the souls of the girls you've captured and return them to to their bodies," ordered Amy.

"You kept saying that you wanted to be a first-class photographer," Raye said in a calm voice, "but what you're doing is wrong! You're letting the evil spirit inside you take control while destroying yourself in the process."

Shane began laughing hysterically, "Art is an expression! I don't care who or what it is! I'm going to keep taking pictures until I'm satisfied!"

"You are so wrong," Serena declared.

The words stopped Shane.

"What?"

"You think you can take of whatever you like just because you can. For a beginner, that's true. But a true photographer looks for something that has beauty and meaning, whether it is a certain object or a certain person. You just want take pictures of girls regardless, but what you don't realize that it's not her looks that count, it is what's in her heart. If think you can go on with that kind or attitude, then you're the worst third-rate photographer I've ever met!"

In the back of her mind Serena realized she had repeated somewhat of what Darien had told her before, but she brushed it away and concentrated on the task before her. Shane, however, enraged by her words, was having none of it.

"Shut up!" he screamed, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

He raised the camera and they braced themselves. A beam of white light shot out from the lenses and they scattered in different directions in order to avoid. Luna had told them that they needed to separate Shane from his camera while not killing him in the process, but every time they tried to get close to him they were forced to dodge the beam of light. Then the tide of the battle changed.

Amy flipped open her boomerang and threw it, hoping to knock the camera out of Shane's hands. However, Shane saw it coming and shot again. The beam knocked aside the boomerang and sped straight toward Amy, who had no chance to avoid it. Serena and Raye gasped in horror as the beam struck her dead center in the chest. Her face paled stalk white and she turned her head to them. She opened her mouth as if to apologize for her mistake before she fell to the floor and lay perfectly still.

"No!"

"Amy!"

A second later they saw Amy's spirit, eyes closed and still dressed in her Sailor Scout uniform, rise out of her body and floated all the way to Shane, where it was sucked inside his camera. Shane began laughing hysterically again before he aimed the camera at the remain two Sailor Scouts.

"One of you will be next," he smirked, "Would either one of you like to volunteer first?"

"Yeah! _Me_!" Serena launched herself at him.

"Serena! No!" both Raye and Luna yelled, but Serena paid no attention to them.

Shane laughed again and shot at her, thinking he had a easy target. Serena dodged every beam that came at her, all the while moving closer and closer to Shane, Then, just she was about six feet away from him, she jumped into the air, the next beam missing her by a good foot. Shane had no chance to react before Serena's booted foot connected with his face. The camera went flying out of his hands and into the pool while he was lifted off his feet and slammed onto the floor, the blow knocking him fully unconscious. Raye and Luna immediately rushed to his side as Serena knelt beside him.

"Serena!" Raye gasped.

"Don't worry," Serena's voice shook a little, "I won't hurt him."

"That was very foolish, Serena," Luna scolded, "You could have gotten easily captured with a move like that."

"I did that to stop Shane," Serena countered, "Which is what matters. Now, we need to figure out how free Amy's-"

Suddenly the pool exploded and they whirled around to see a figure taking shape over a geyser of water. Then a woman appeared and the water settled back into the pool, her body floating over it. Her features deathly pale and menacing, her head covered by a hood. She was dressed in a simple brown robe that was torn and patched in almost every single place and was decorated with skulls of both humans and animals. A terrifying smile spread across her thin and colorless lips as she stared down at them.

"Sailor Scouts," she said in a deep chilling voice that made them shiver, "Allow me to show you eternity."

She lifted her right arm and aimed her hand directly at them. The skin at the palm of her hand moved and a pubiless eye appeared. Serena and Raye stared in horror before a beam of white light shot from the eye. Instinctively they dove to opposite sides and the beam hit Shane. His spirit rose and was captured inside the eye and his body disappeared soon afterword.

Then the soul catcher began shooting at them at an even faster pace than Shane had, the girls barely able to avoid the beams. Then Raye lost her balance and fell to the floor. The soul catcher immediately saw her opportunity and shot at her. Raye knew she wouldn't be able to avoid it in time and waited for death to reach her. Suddenly Serena dove in front of the beam and was struck by it.

"_No_!" Raye screamed.

She caught Serena's body before it hit the floor. She looked down Serena, unable to believe that her most annoying friend had actually sacrificed herelf in order to save her. Tears forming in her eyes, she watched as Serena tried to smile at her before her eyes closed and her head rolled to one side. Gasping for breath, she saw Serena's spirit rise from her body and into the eye before her body disappeared from Raye's arms.

"Raye!" she heard Luna yell, "Don't give up! Keep fighting for their sacrifice!"

The soul catcher turned in Luna's direction and shot at her, but the cat avoided it easily. However, the time that Luna was buying was enough for Raye regather herself and she stood. The soul catcher turned her attention to her and smiled cruelly.

"You're the only one left," she said, "What will you do now?"

"Keep on fighting until I defeat you!" Raye declared.

"Is that so?" the soul catcher suddenly grinned with glee, "Then let's make this interesting."

She lifted her left hand and two spheres of white light appeared above it. She tossed them onto the floor and the spheres began to take shape. Raye felt her heart stop when she saw them form into the shapes of Serena and Amy, still dressed in their Sailor Scout uniforms but their skin was ashen grey and their were drooping as if they were asleep.

"Serena? Amy?" Raye gasped.

The soul catcher laughed, "Let's see how well you can hold out against you're very own friends."

At her command, Serena's and Amy's heads rose and their eyes open to a hellish yellow glow. Then they drew their weapons and with demonic grins advanced towards the remaining Sailor Scout.

Raye stared in horror as the realization struck her. She was going to have to fight her own friends in order to survive.


End file.
